Free-radical scavenging properties and antioxidant activities of botryosphaeran and some other β-D-glucans

beta-D-Glucans are known to present antitumor, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities that are influenced by their own antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant activity of botryosphaeran, an exopolysaccharide of the (1 -> 3;1 -> 6)-beta-D-glucan type produced by the Bodyosphaeria rhodina MAMB-05was evaluated and compared to some other beta-D-glucans (lasiodiplodan an exocellular (1 -> 6)-beta-D-glucan from Lasiodiplodia theobromae, laminarin and curdlan), and oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides in a study of scavenging activities of free radicals in-vitro. Botryosphaeran displayed high total antioxidant activity (80%) as well as good scavenging activity against hydroxyl radical (90.6%), superoxide anion (37%), hydrogen peroxide (38%), and nitric oxide radical (90%). No reducing power, metal-chelating capacity or inhibition of lipid peroxidation was observed for these beta-D-glucans. The results demonstrated that botryosphaeran exhibited effective antioxidant activity as supported by many different assays, suggesting that this beta-D-glucan may serve as a source of a new bioactive compound with effective antioxidant activity. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.