Studies on anti-inflammatory activity of sulfated polysaccharides from cultivated fungi Antrodia cinnamomea

Polysaccharides (PSs) and sulfated polysaccharides (SPSs) were isolated from sodium sulfate-, and potassium sulfate-feeding mycelia of Antrodia cinnamomea and their chemical components and molecular weight distribution were studied. The highest value of SPS content in the SPSs was 1.22 mmol/g SPSs for sodium sulfate 1 mM feeding for 49 days. SPSs of A. cinnamomea contained five fractions. The area percentage of low-molecular-weight SPSs (< 20 kDa) covered almost half of the SPSs mixture. Glucose was the major sugar in the SPS mixture. To study the effects of SPSs on anti-inflammation activity, an in vitro assay was performed on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages. SPSs showed a stronger inhibitory effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) release compared to those of non-sulfated polysaccharide (PS), with both at values of 100% suppression. This fact suggests that the sulfation degree of SPS may play a role in anti-inflammatory activity. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.