Purification and Immune Activity of Small- Molecule Polysaccharides from Grifola Frondosa

A water-soluble crude polysaccharide preparation (GFP) was obtained from Grifola frondosa fruit bodies by hot water (100 °C) extraction, followed by ethanol (75%) precipitation. Purified polysaccharides, GFP75-2D was obtained from the crude material by successive fractionation using DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow ion exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S gel filtration chromatography. GFP75-2D mainly contained fucose, galactose, and mannose by UV spectroscopy scan. Moreover it showed the activities to stimulate macrophages and enhanced the release of NO from RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, the concentration of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and TNF-α were significantly stimulated after exposed to GFP75-2D whereas modest increase was detected in IL-6.