Abstract: The leaves of Ilex kudincha C. J. Tseng were defatted with 95% EtOH,extracted with water and deproteined three times by Sevag method, and from them, crude polysaccharide noted as KPSⅡwas obtained. The crude polysaccharide KPSⅡ was purified by DEAE-cellulose column, and two refined polysaccharides noted as KPSⅢa and KPSⅢb were obtained. KPS Ⅲa and KPSⅢb were hydrolyzed by 2 mol/L H2SO4, reduced with NaBH4, and were then acetylated with Ac2O. The consequent alditol acetate derivatives were analyzed by GC. The results indicated that KPSⅢa and KPSⅢb are both composed of arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose with the molar ratio of 10.2 : 1.0 : 1.2 : 8.0 : 5.4 and 17.7 : 1.0 : 1.1 : 1.8 : 4.1, respectively. The scavenging effects of the polysaccharides of Ilex kudincha C. J. Tseng (KPSⅡ, KPSⅢa and KPSⅢb) on hydroxyl radicals were studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The hydroxyl radicals were produced by Fenton reaction. The results showed that KPSⅡ, KPSⅢa and KPSⅢb have the scavenging activity to hydroxyl radicals, in a concentration-dependent manner. The scavenging capacity of the crude polysaccharide of Ilex kudincha C. J. Tseng to hydroxyl radicals is higher than that of the refined polysaccharides.

Key words: leaves of Ilex kudincha C. J. Tseng, polysaccharides, extraction and purification, hydroxyl radicals