Isolation, Characterization, and Antitumor Activity of a Novel Heteroglycan from Cultured Mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis

A novel heteroglycan, Cordyceps sinensis polysaccharide 1 (molecular weight 1 17 x 10(5) Da), was isolated and purified from mycelia of the fungus C. sinensis obtained by solid-state culture. Structural characterization by chemical analysis, GC-MS, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy showed that C. sinensis polysaccharide 1 was mainly composed of (1 -> 6)-linked alpha-D-Glc and alpha-D-Gal, with minor beta-(1 -> 4)-D-Xyl and beta-(1 -> 4)-D-Man residues probably located in the side chains with a trace amount of alpha-(1 -> 3)-L-Rha residue. In biological assays, C. sinensis polysaccharide 1 significantly inhibited proliferation of sarcoma 180 cells and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies will elucidate the antitumor mechanism of C. sinensis polysaccharide 1 and promote its utilization for the development of novel, effective anticancer drugs.