Abstract:

This study was conducted aiming to explore the effect of Cordyceps taishanensis polysaccharide on the intestinal
microflora and intestinal mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in immunosuppressive mice. Sixty Kunming
male mice were randomly divided into five groups including control group, cyclophosphamide (CY) model group and
C. taishanensis polysaccharide treatment groups. The mice of both control and CY model groups were administrated with
distilled water, and those in three treatment groups were administrated with C. taishanensis polysaccharide at doses of
100, 200 and 300 mg/(kg·d), respectively, by gavage for 19 successive days. On the 20th day, the mice from control group
were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline, and those from four other groups were intraperitoneally injected with
CY at a dose of 100 mg/(kg·d), and the effect of C. taishanensis polysaccharide on the intestinal microflora and intestinal
mucosal sIgA were analyzed. Compared with the CY model group, the numbers of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were
significantly increased (P < 0.01), the numbers of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus were significantly decreased (P < 0.05
or P < 0.01) and the content of intestinal mucosal sIgA was significantly increased (P < 0.01) in three treatment groups.
These results indicated that C. taishanensis polysaccharide could regulate the disturbance of the intestinal microflora in
immunosuppressive mice induced by CY and could also antagonize CY-induced damage of intestinal mucosal immunity to a
certain extent by promoting the secretion of sIgA.

Key words: Cordyceps taishanensis, polysaccharide, cyclophosphamide, immunosuppressive mice, intestinal microflora;secretory immunoglobulin A