Structural characterization of a water-soluble polysaccharide from the roots of Codonopsis pilosula and its immunity activity

The water-soluble polysaccharide (CPP), with a molecular mass of 1.1 x 10(4) Da, was obtained from the roots of Codonopsis pilosula. Structure feature investigation by a combination of chemical and instrumental analysis revealed that CPP had a backbone consisting of (1 -> 3)-linked-beta-D-galactopyranosyl, (1 -> 2, 3)-linked-beta-D-galactopyranosyl and (1 -> 3)-linked-alpha-D- rhamnopyranosyl residues, which were branched with two glycosyl residues composed of alpha-L-arabinose-(1 -> 5)-alpha-L-arabinose(1 -> linked residues at the O-2 position of galactosyl along the main chain in the ratio of 1: 1: 2: 1: 1. Preliminary immunological tests in vitro showed CPP could stimulate concanavalin A (ConA)- or lipopolysaccharicle (LPS)-induced lymphocyte proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.