Effect of Sulfated Modification on the Molecular Characteristics and Biological Activities of Polysaccharides from Hypsizigus marmoreus

The effect of sulfated modification on polysaccharides from Hypsizigus marmoreus was examined by determining their molecular structures and bioactivities. The sulfation, which was implemented by using an orthogonal array design, produced polysaccharides with varying degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.11 to 1.06. The sulfated polysaccharides exhibited a lower average molecular weight (M-w) and considerably higher radius of gyration (R-g) than those of native polysaccharide, suggesting that the conformation of the sulfated polysaccharides had been changed towards a more extended type. The inhibitory activity toward cancer cell growth was enhanced by treating with the sulfated polysaccharides by up to 34%, as compared to the native polysaccharide. In addition, treating with the sulfated polysaccharides increased the nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine (IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha) release to levels comparable to those detected in the positive control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), suggesting that the sulfated polysaccharides might have strong immunomodulatory activity.