Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Agaricus bisporus autolysis on the molecular mass, in vitro antioxidant and antitumor activities of Agaricus bisporus polysaccharides (ABP). After different periods of Agaricus bisporus autolysis at different temperatures, ABP were extracted and fractionated to obtain fractions with strong antioxidant and antitumor activities, and the molecular mass and monosaccharide composition of the bioactive fractions were determined. The results showed that ABP were degraded to medium-molecular-mass polysaccharides due to Agaricus bisporus autolysis. Agaricus bisporus autolysis enhanced the antioxidant and antitumor activities of low-molecular-mass polysaccharides. The molecular mass of the ABP fraction with the best antioxidant and antitumor activities was 619.72 Da and monosaccharide composition analysis showed that it was mainly composed of glucose, galactose, and rhamnose.

Key words: Agaricus bisporus; polysaccharides; autolysis; antioxidant; antitumor