Effect of Origins of Lentinus edodes and Sample Preparation Methods on the Optical Rotation of Lentinan

Lentinan from fruiting body, mycelium and fermentation broth of Lentinus edodes can control the differentiation and adjust the growth and caducity of cells. The biofunctionalities are sure to be related to the structure of lentinan which are optical active, like most of the functional macromolecules. In order to get insight of the nature of lentinan, investigations were performed on the effect of origins of materials and preparation methods including the extracting means (with water or alkali), the drying modes (lyophilising, air drying or vacuum drying), and the extraction aids (microwave and ultrasound), on the optical rotation. The results showed that all the factors under investigation could affect the specific rotation of the final lentinan significantly. The material sources are the principal production regions of Lentinus edodes in China, and the optical rotations of the lentinan showed diverse and source