Structural analysis and antioxidant activities of polysaccharide isolated from Jinqian mushroom.

Jinqian mushroom is a precious edible mushroom with delicious taste and high nutritional value. In this paper, a polysaccharide fraction JQPs was isolated and purified from the fruiting body of Jinqian mushroom. The chemical structure, chain conformation and antioxidant activities of JQPs were investigated. The results indicated that JQPs was mainly composed of glucose with trace amounts of xylose. The backbone of JQPs consisted of β-(1 → 3)-D-glucan with β-(1 → 6)-glucosyl side chain. The chain conformation analysis showed that JQPs was a triple helical polysaccharide. The antioxidant activity tests in vitro revealed that JQPs exhibited high DPPH radical and ABTS radical scavenging activities, moderate superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, low reducing power and Fe(2+) chelating activities. The results suggested that JQPs could be used as a potential natural antioxidant.