Abstract:
Polysaccharides are one of the main constituents of
Cordyceps cicadae (
C. cicadae), and they show various biological activities. In the present study,
C. cicadae fruiting bodies were used as raw materials to extract polysaccharides using an aqueous two-phase system, along with cellulase and pectinase, aiming to provide references for the further development, utilization, and in-depth research of
C. cicadae polysaccharides. Effects of cellulase and pectinase addition amounts and (NH
4)
2SO
4 and polyethylene glycol (PEG) mass fractions on the polysaccharide-extraction rates were analyzed by single-factor experiments. The conditions for
C. cicadae polysaccharide extraction were optimized by response-surface methodology, and the antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic properties of the polysaccharides were evaluated
in vitro. The optimal conditions for
C. cicadae polysaccharide extraction were as follows: Cellulase addition amount 2.01%, pectinase addition amount 2.07%, (NH
4)
2SO
4 mass fraction 17.72%, and PEG mass fraction 20.87%, the polysaccharide-extraction rate reached 25.34% under these conditions. When the
C. cicadae polysaccharide concentration was 1.0~5.0 mg/mL, the maximum Fe
2+-chelating and ABTS
+ radical-clearance abilities were 16.33%±1.68% and 17.38%±3.07%, respectively. The determination of total reducing power showed that the maximum absorbance of
C. cicadae polysaccharides was 0.53±0.005. The maximum inhibitory rates of
C. cicadae polysaccharides for
α-amylase and
α-glucosidase activities were 30.96%±4.53% and 49.40%±1.30% respectively, the maximum adsorption rates of
C. cicadae polysaccharides for sodium cholate, sodium taurocholate, and cholesterol were 47.24%±1.89%, 44.88%±0.82%, and 70.19%±2.54% respectively. The results indicated that
C. cicadae polysaccharides demonstrate effective antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic abilities
in vitro. This study will provide a theoretical basis for developing
C. cicadae polysaccharide-related products, especially for clinical applications.