Structure and antioxidant activity of an extracellular polysaccharide from coral-associated fungus, Aspergillus versicolor LCJ-5-4

An extracellular polysaccharide AVP was isolated from the fermented broth of coral-associated fungus Aspergillus versicolor LCJ-5-4. AVP was a mannoglucan with molecular weight of about 7 kDa, and the molar ratio of glucose and mannose was 1.7:1.0. On the basis of detailed one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D NMR) spectroscopic analyses, the backbone of AVP was characterized to be composed of (1 → 6)-linked α-d-glucopyranose and (1 → 2)-linked α-d-mannopyranose units. The mannopyranose residues in the backbone were substituted mainly at C-6 by the side chain of (1 → 2)-linked α-d-mannopyranose trisaccharides units. The antioxidant activity of AVP was evaluated with the scavenging abilities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in vitro, and the results indicated that AVP had good antioxidant activity, especially scavenging ability on superoxide radicals. AVP was a novel extracellular polysaccharide with different structural characteristics from other extracellular polysaccharides and could be a potential source of antioxidant.