Abstract:

The crude intracellular polysaccharides (CIPSMB and CIPSMH) extracted from the mycelia of Morchella esculenta L. from Beijing (MB) and Huaiyin (MH) areas by water extraction and alcohol precipitation were subjected to decolorization and deproteinization to obtain purified CIPSMB and CIPSMH, denoted as PIPSMB and PIPSMH, respectively. The scavenging effects of the four samples on hydroxyl and superoxide anion free radicals were tested by salicylic acid method and pyrogallol autoxidation method, respectively. It was observed that all the four samples were able to obviously scavenge both free radicals, displaying a positive concentration-dependent response in a concentration range between 1 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL. No statistical significance in the ability to scavenge superoxide anion free radicals was found between CIPSMB and PIPSMB and between CIPSMH and PIPSMH. CIPSMB and CIPSMH had no significant difference in the ability to scavenge hydroxyl free radicals. However, there was a significant difference in the ability to scavenge hydroxyl free radicals observed between CIPSMH and PIPSMH; the scavenging rate of CIPSMH at a concentration of 5 mg/mL was only 22.57%, whereas that of PIPSMH was as high as 46.27%, indicating that purification greatly enhances the hydroxyl free radical scavenging capacity of intracellular polysaccharides from the mycelia of Morchella esculenta L. from Huaiyin area.

Key words: Morchella esculenta L., intracellular polysaccharide, antioxidant activity