Polysaccharides from Basidiocarps of the Polypore Fungus Ganoderma resinaceum: Isolation and Structure

In this study, we focused on the isolation and structural characterization of polysaccharides from a basidiocarp of polypore fungus Ganoderma resinaceum. Polysaccharide fractions were obtained by successive extractions with cold water at room temperature (20 degrees C), hot water under reflux (100 degrees C), and a solution of 1 mol L-1 sodium hydroxide. The purity of all fractions was controlled mainly by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and their composition and structure were characterized by organic elemental analysis; neutral sugar and methylation analyses by gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and mass spectrometry detector (GC/MS), respectively; and by correlation nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The aqueous extracts contained two main polysaccharides identified as a branched O-2-beta-d-mannosyl-(1 -> 6)-alpha-d-galactan and a highly branched (1 -> 3)(1 -> 4)(1 -> 6)-beta-d-glucan. Mannogalactan predominated in the cold water extract, and beta-d-glucan was the main product of the hot water extract. The hot water soluble fraction was further separated by preparative anion exchange chromatography into three sub-fractions; two of them were identified as branched beta-d-glucans with a structure similar to the corresponding polysaccharide of the original fraction. The alkaline extract contained a linear (1 -> 3)-alpha-d-glucan and a weakly branched (1 -> 3)-beta-d-glucan having terminal beta-d-glucosyl residues attached to O-6 of the backbone. The insoluble part after all extractions was identified as a polysaccharide complex containing chitin and beta-d-glucans.