Immunoactivities of the polysaccharides from Morus alba, Chlamydomonas mexicana and Poria cocos

Polysaccharides were extracted from young branches of Morus alba L. (M); a green alga, Chlamydomonas mexicana Lewin, (C 1 and C 2 ) and a fungus, Poria cocos (Fr.) Wolf, (P 1 and P 2 ). M consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose, C 1 of fucose, 2‐MeO‐arabinose, ribose, arabinose, 6‐MeO‐mannose, xylose, 2‐deoxy‐galactose, mannose, galactose and glucose, C 2 of 3‐MeO‐arabinose, arabinose, xylose, 2‐MeO‐galactose, galactose and glucose, P 1 was mannose, galactose, glucose and a small amount of ribose and P 2 consisted of erythritol, arabinose, glucose and muramic acid with the ratio of 1:1:4:1. Pharmacological tests for all of these polysaccharides were performed. Based on the results, M was less effective, but C 1 and C 2 were immunostimulant either in humoral immunity or in cellular immunity. C 2 was effective in nonspecific immunity only, and P 1 was as effective in humoral or in nonspecific immunities. P 2 expressed enhancement in humoral, cellular or nonspecific immunities, but its activities were less than P 1 .