Chemical Modification and Antitumor Activity of Polysaccharides from the Mycelium of Liquid-cultured Grifola frondosa.

Twenty-three chemically-modified polysaccharides, including five polyaldehyde-, ten polyalcohol-, four formylated-polysaccharides and four formolysis products of polysaccharides, were prepared from nine mycelial polysaccharides of Grifola frondosa. Although two of the original polysaccharides (FA-3, FA-2-b-β and FII-b) had no activity, their polyaldehyde-, polyol-, formylated-, and formolysis derivatives showed significant activity. Polyaldehyde-, and polyol-polysaccharides prepared from a polysaccharide (FI0-a-β) with low antitumor activity showed activity higher than the original polysaccharide. Polyaldehyde- and polyol-polysaccharides prepared from polysaccharides (FIII-1-b and FIII-2-b) with relatively high activity also showed antitumor activity higher than the original polysaccharide. The formolysis product of FIII-1-insoluble with relatively high activity did not few increase in antitumor activity (Sarcoma 180/mice) compared with the original polysaccharide, but also show the complement C3 activation on macrophages.