Preparation of Glucan from Lentinula edodes Edible Mushroom and Elucidation of its Medicinal Value

One of the most popular mushrooms in the World is Shiitake mushroom (lentinula edodes). In the present study (L. edodes) mycelia were grown in submerged culture and the polysaccharides were extracted from culture broth. The structure of polysaccharides was elucidated using NMR spectra, which indicated that the polysaccharide is highly branched glucan containing mainly 1, 3 and 1, 6 linkages. The results showed that the polysaccharides posses anticancer activity against human esophageal cancer cell line. The potential of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a tool for studying molecular systematics and population genetics is significant. The results also showed that the polysaccharides enhance the immune-responses of human body thereby increasing resistance to cancer disease. Mycelia formed by growing pure cultures in submerged conditions are of constant composition, and submerged culture is the best technique for obtaining consistent and safe mushroom product