Extraction, partial characterization and bioactivity of polysaccharides from boat-fruited sterculia seeds

Three polysaccharides (water-soluble (WSP), alkali-soluble (ASP) and insoluble (IMP)) from boat-fruited sterculia seeds were obtained using different extraction methods. Moisture, ash, protein and total carbohydrate content of WSP, ASP and IMP were analyzed. WSP was rich in glucose, rhamnose, arabinose and galactose while small amount of xylose was also detected. The monosaccharide composition as well its relative content for WSP and ASP were similar. The intrinsic viscosity results demonstrated that ASP had much lower intrinsic viscosity than WSP, indicating partial polysaccharides were degraded into low molecular weight polymers during alkaline extraction. The acute anti-inflammatory bioactive results of polysaccharides indicated that WSP demonstrated an inhibitive effect toward acute inflammation.