Oxidation of β-glucan extracted from Poria Cocos and its physiological activities

Water-insoluble (1-3)-β-d-glucan isolated from the sclerotium of P. cocos exhibits little physiological activity. Therefore, it is advantageous to produce a value-added product from P. cocos. Extracted from the sclerotium of P. cocos, the (1-3)-β-d-glucan was oxidized by using TEMPO/NaBr/NaClO oxidation system and the water-soluble oxidized product was prepared. The structural and physiological properties of the derivative were investigated. The composition of the oxidized product was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the molecular weight parameters were obtained by LLS analysis. The oxidation caused the enhancement of in vitro bile acid binding capacity of the polysaccharides which would be explained by the improved water solubility and structural changes caused by oxidation. In addition, in vitro hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of the derivative was observed.