doseCrude Polysaccharides Extracted From Several Medicinal Fungi Exhibit Hypoglycemic Functions in Mice

Crude Polysaccharides Extracted From Several Medicinal Fungi

Exhibit Hypoglycemic Functions in Mice

Abstract:The hypoglycemic effects of crude polysaccharides extracted from fivemedicinal fungi were evaluated using alloxan-induced diabetic mice.High(1 g/kg)and low(0.5 g/kg) doses of polysaccharides extracted from Cordyceps taii and C.memorabilis caused significant (P0.01) decreases in mice blood sugar levels.Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum and C.militaris fruit bodies both exhibitedweak hypoglycemic effects at significance levels of P0.01 and P0.05 for high andlow doses,respectively. Polysaccharide extracted from mycelium of a Phellinus sp.was significantly(P0.05)hypoglycemic at higher dose levels but lower doses hadno effect.

Key wo rds:Cordyceps;P he llinus Ganoderma po lysaccharides;hypo glycemiceffect

Medicinal fungi are a very important part of traditional Chinese herbal medicine.Extensive research on the structure and bioactivity of fungal components hasindicated that fungal polysaccharides in particular are highly effective in maintaininggeneral good health, and in the treatment of certain diseases such as hyperglycemia.For example, polysaccharides extracted from Ganoderma lucidum,Cordyceps spp,Coriulus versicolor, Auricularia polytricha,A. auricula, Tremella fuciformis, T.aurantialba, Hericium erinaceum, Grifola frondosa, Armillariella mellea andAgrocybe praecox increased the rate of insulin secretion and lowered blood glucoselevels  1,2 .We now report hypoglycemic functions associated with crudepolysaccharide preparations from fruit bodies o f G. lucidum and Cordycep s militaris,and from vegetative mycelia of Cordyceps taii,Cordyceps memorabilis and Phellinussp.

1 Materials and Methods

1.1Strains and test sample

All fungal strains were provided by the Guangdong Institute of Microbiology(GIM).Phellinus sp.GIMYY0512 was isolated from a fruit body collected from thewild at Preah Vihear,Cambodia, and was identified as a new species of Phellinusthrough ITS sequence analysis (ITS sequence deposited in Genbank under accessionNo. EU826013); Cordyceps taii GIMYY0508 and Cordyceps memorabilisGIMYY0607 were isolated from fruit bodies collected from the wild at Henyang,Hunan Province and Dinghu, Guangdong Province, respectively. Fruit bodies ofGanoderma lucidum GIMYY0403 and Cordyceps militaris GIMYY0610 werecultivated in o ur labo rato ry.