Immunoactivities of the polysaccharides from Morus alba, Chlamydomonas mexicana and Poria cocos

AbstractPolysaccharides were extracted from young branches of Morus alba L. (M); a green alga, Chlamydomonas mexicana Lewin, (C1 and C2) and a fungus, Poria cocos (Fr.) Wolf, (P1 and P2). M consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose, C1 of fucose, 2‐MeO‐arabinose, ribose, arabinose, 6‐MeO‐mannose, xylose, 2‐deoxy‐galactose, mannose, galactose and glucose, C2 of 3‐MeO‐arabinose, arabinose, xylose, 2‐MeO‐galactose, galactose and glucose, P1 was mannose, galactose, glucose and a small amount of ribose and P2 consisted of erythritol, arabinose, glucose and muramic acid with the ratio of 1:1:4:1. Pharmacological tests for all of these polysaccharides were performed. Based on the results, M was less effective, but C1 and C2 were immunostimulant either in humoral immunity or in cellular immunity. C2 was effective in nonspecific immunity only, and P1 was as effective in humoral or in nonspecific immunities. P2 expressed enhancement in humoral, cellular or nonspecific immunities, but its activities were less than P1.