Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction Research Articles

Effects of wheat germ polysaccharides prepared by ultra-high pressure on functional constipation and gut microbiota

With the quickening of life rhythms and changes in eating habits, the incidence rate of constipation is gradually rising and attracting more attention. In this study, wheat germ, a by-product of wheat, was used as raw material to prepare wheat germ polysaccharides (WGPs) by an ultra-high pressure extraction method, which improved the yield of WGPs. We studied the alleviating effect of WGPs and its mechanism in constipated mice induced by diphenoxylate. Results demonstrated that WGPs could effectively regulate defecation function, enhance intestinal transit ratio, and protect the small intestinal villi and colonic mucosa dose-dependently. Furthermore, WGPs played a crucial role in regulating the levels of serum gastrointestinal regulatory-related peptides and raising the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in constipated mice. Principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed that WGPs could regulate the gut microbiota composition of constipated mice to be closer to that of healthy mice. According to spearman's correlation analysis, there is a significant association between constipation and some gut microbiota. This study provided a valuable theoretical support for the alleviating effect of WGPs on constipation and suggested a new way for the high value-added utilization of wheat.

Comparison in structural, physicochemical and functional properties of sweet potato stems and leaves polysaccharide conjugates from different technologies

In order to better understand the influences of extraction techniques on the yield, characteristics, and bioactivities of polysaccharide conjugates, hot reflux extraction (HRE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), complex enzymolysis extraction (CEE), ultra-high pressure extraction (UPE), ultrasonic complex enzymes extraction (UEE) were used to extract sweet potato stems leaves polysaccharide conjugates (SPSPCs), and their physicochemical characteristics, functional properties, antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities were compared. Results showed that compared with HRE conjugate (HR-SPSPC), the yield, content of uronic acid (UAC), total phenol (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC) and sulfate group (SGC), water solubility (WS), percentage of glucuronic acid (GlcA), galacuronic acid (GalA) and galactose (Gal), antioxidant and hypoglycemia activities of UEE polysaccharide conjugates (UE-SPSPC) significant increased, while its molecular weight (Mw), degree of esterification (DE), content of protein (PC) and percentage of glucose (Glc) declined, but monosaccharides and amino acid types, and glycosyl linkages were not much different. Indeed, UE-SPSPC possessed the highest antioxidant activities and hypolipidemic activities among six SPSPCs, which might be due to the high UAC, TPC, TFC, SGC, GlcA, GalA and WS, low Mw, DE and Glc of UE-SPSPC. The results reveal that UEE is an effective extraction and modification technology of polysaccharide conjugates.

Ultra-high pressure-assisted micelles for simultaneous and efficient extraction of two insoluble alkaloids from Camptotheca acuminata seeds

As countries focus more on environmental issues, the development of sustainable green technologies has received increasing attention from researchers. This study aimed to propose a green, low-energy-consumption and high-efficiency extraction method for the simultaneous extraction of insoluble alkaloids from plants at room temperature and provide theoretical basis and data support to solve the problem of poorly soluble analogs. Ultra-high pressure (UHP) assisted eco-friendly micellar media (sodium lauryl sulfonate, SLS) at room temperature were applied to extract two insoluble alkaloids, namely, camptothecin (CPT) and hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT), from Camptotheca acuminata seeds simultaneously. The extraction processes of CPT and HCPT were optimized by single-factor and response-surface methodology. The final extraction rates of CPT and HCPT were 82.68 % ± 1.2 % and 89.02 % ± 1.2 %, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to simulate the interaction between molecules. The hydrogen bond and electrostatic force between CPT, HCPT and SLS caused the formation of CPT-SLS and HCPT-SLS supramolecules, and folds self-assembled into micelles. The combination of these two forces made SLS more soluble in CPT and HCPT, which resulted in the extraction of active components. In the study of the kinetic model of UHP extraction, the entire process occurred by fast washing and slow diffusion simultaneously, with fast washing as the main step. During the extraction process, the endosperm, embryo and cotyledon of Camptotheca acuminata seeds were broken to extract the target components. Compared with other traditional extraction methods, the proposed method shows higher efficiency and lower energy consumption and provides a high-efficiency, environmentally protective, safe, and cost-saving for strategy for the industrial production of natural products.

Preparation of hypoglycemic anthocyanins from mulberry (Fructus mori) fruits by ultrahigh pressure extraction

In this study, mulberry anthocyanins were extracted by ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) and investigated on biological activities. Based on response surface methodology (RSM), the optimum conditions were 430 MPa of extraction pressure, 75% v/v ethanol concentration, 12:1 v/w liquid-solid ratio, the highest extraction yield was 1.97 ± 0.11 mg/g. Six anthocyanins were identified by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MSE). The antioxidant activity of anthocyanins was determined by reducing powder, the scavenging of hydroxyl radical and 2,2-diphenyl−1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical activity. In addition, the α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory rate of mulberry anthocyanins rose in a dose-dependence manner. When anthocyanin concentration is 0.50 mg/mL, the highest inhibition percentage is 65.51% and 81.72%, respectively. The high temperature, high pH and outdoor light will affect the inhibitory ability of enzyme. These findings could provide optimal extraction methods and provide perspective for mulberries anthocyanins using in functional food.

Optimized Extraction of cAMP From Jujube by Ultra-High Pressure Technology and the Anti-allergic Effect for Peanut Allergy Mouse.

Jujube contains abundant cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). In contrast, the extraction technology of cAMP from jujube is still to be explored. In this study, the ultra-high pressure extraction (UHPE) conditions for obtaining the maximum cAMP yield from jujube were optimized. Orthogonal array design (OAD) was applied to evaluate the effects of three variables (pressure, pressure-holding time, and liquid-to-solid ratio) by UHPE on cAMP yield. The results showed that the optimal cAMP yield (1223.2 μg/g) was derived at 300 MPa, 20 min duration, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 2.5 ml/g. In addition, as an important functional ingredient in jujube, cAMP has potential anti-allergic effect. To develop the functional characteristics of jujube, the effect of cAMP was characterized in vivo with the Balb/c mouse model of peanut allergy, which was established by subcutaneous injection of crude peanut protein extract (PN). The results showed that treatment with cAMP in PN-sensitized mice suppressed the lesions in jejunal tissues and allergic symptoms and restored spleen index. Meanwhile, cAMP treatment reduced serum levels of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), histamine, as well as interleukin-4 (IL-4) and stimulated the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), whereas the serum levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) were not affected. Our results suggested that cAMP has an anti-allergic effect in PN-sensitized mice.

Structural elucidation for soluble organic oxygenated compounds in soft and hard coals using advanced extraction methods

Two coal samples with different coalification degrees were extracted by ultrasonic extraction (UE), thermal dissolution (TD) at 300 °C, and ultra-high pressure extraction (UHPE) at 300 MPa using three solvents, methanol, toluene and acetone. Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) was used to analyze coal extracts and molecular characteristics were further elucidated by in-source collision activated dissociation, a tandems MS method. UHPE exhibited an excellent extraction yield, which is related to the acquirement of compounds with long-chain structures. Unlike UE and TD, more compounds containing 3 to 4 oxygen atoms per molecule were extracted by UHPE method. Oxygen distribution index indicates most oxygen atoms in UHPE extract exist on the side chains of aromatic structures. Therefore, advanced separation method reveals that multiple oxygen-containing functional groups (3 and 4 oxygen atoms) on side chains should be the major structure of organic oxygenates in low-rank coals, which is a new knowledge of coal chemistry.

Study on ultrahigh-pressure extraction technology on properties of yellow extract from gardenia fruit

The acquisition of yellow extract (YE) from gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) fruit can promote the application of natural pigment. This study aims to establish an effective method for extracting YE from gardenia fruit and to evaluate the properties of YE. First, the seven compounds in YE obtained by ultrahigh-pressure extraction (UPE) were identified by LC-TOF-MS/MS. The effects of traditional extraction (TE), ultrasonic extraction (UE), and UPE methods on the yield of YE were then investigated. The results showed that the extraction yield of UPE was 7.73 ± 0.89 mg/g DW under the optimized conditions (47.78% ethanol concentration, 114.95 s time, and 18.08 mL/g liquid–solid ratio), which was higher than those of UE (4.81 ± 0.23 mg/g DW) and TE (3.55 ± 0.21 mg/g DW). Finally, the YE stability of UPE was studied. The results showed that the YE stability of UPE was similar to that of the TE group, and both of which were greatly affected by higher temperature (60–100 °C), ultraviolet radiation, alkalinity, and Fe3+. Meanwhile, YE of UPE had better stability under ultraviolet radiation and alkalinity in comparison with the TE group. Therefore, UPE is a potential method for YE extraction from gardenia fruit.

Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction of Polygonatum sibiricum Polysaccharide and Mechanism of Improving Exercise Endurance

Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction of Polygonatum sibiricum Polysaccharide and Mechanism of Improving Exercise Endurance

Combined Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction and High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography for Separation and Purification of Three Glycoside Compounds from Dendrobium officinale Protocorm.

As an alternative to Dendrobium candidum, protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of Dendrobium candidum are of great value due to their high yield and low cost. In this work, three glycoside compounds, β-D-glucopyranose 1-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoat] (I), β-D-glucopyranose 1-[(E)-3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoat] (II), and 1-O-sinapoyl glucopyranoside (III), were extracted and isolated by ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) from PLBs of D. officinale. First, the target compounds were optimized and prepared with 50% ethanol solution at a 1:30 (g/mL) solid/liquid ratio in 2 min under 300 MPa by UPE. Then, the crude extract was chromatographed with a silica gel column, and primary separation products were obtained. In addition, the products (150 mg) were separated by HSCCC under the solvent system of MTBE-n-butyl alcohol-acetonitrile-water (5:1:2:6, v/v/v/v), yielding 31.43 mg of compound I, 10.21 mg of compound II, and 24.75 mg of compound III. Their structures were further identified by ESI-MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The antioxidant results showed that the three compounds expressed moderate effects on the DPPH· scavenging effect. Compound II had the best antioxidant capacity and its IC50 value was 0.0497 mg/mL.

Green ultra-high pressure extraction of bioactive compounds from Haematococcus pluvialis and Porphyridium cruentum microalgae

Microalgae are considered prolific sources of bioactive compounds that can be useful for nutraceuticals. In this study, the potential of ultra-high pressure extraction (UHPE) for the simultaneous cell disruption and extraction of bioactives from two microalgae species, Haematococcus pluvialis and Porphyridium cruentum, was evaluated. The variables studied to extract carotenoids for H. pluvialis were pressure (100–600 MPa) and number of cycles (1 and 3 cycles) whereas the variables studied to obtain bioactives such as B-phycoerythrin, carotenoids, and PUFAs for P. cruentum were pressure (100–600 MPa) and different extraction solvents (water, ethanol, ethyl acetate or ethanol/d-limonene), generally recognized as safe (GRAS). The UHPE results showed significant increase on the extraction of carotenoids (109.74–119.34 mg per g extract) from H. pluvialis using 1 cycle of 20 min regardless of the pressure used. For P. cruentum, an UHPE with water provided extracts enriched in B-phycoerythrin (up to 144.43 mg per g extract), while subsequent UHPE using ethanol, ethyl acetate or ethanol/d-limonene 1:1 (v/v) provided extracts enriched in carotenoids (up to 65.05 mg per g extract) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly eicosapentanoic acid and linoleic acid). Therefore, UHPE proved to be a viable green alternative for the recovery of bioactives from microalgae biomass.Industrial relevance: Microalgae are promising sources of bioactives such as B-phycoerythrin, carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The potential of ultra-high-pressure extraction (UHPE) has been demonstrated as a fast and viable eco-friendly alternative using GRAS solvents (water, ethanol, ethyl acetate or ethanol/d-limonene) for the simultaneous cell disruption and extraction of these bioactives from Haematococcus pluvialis and Porphyridium cruentum. The bioactives obtained with one step or two step-UHPE process can be used in an array of food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.

Use of high and ultra-high pressure based-processes for the effective recovery of bioactive compounds from Nannochloropsis oceanica microalgae

In this study, the recovery of different bioactive compounds from Nannochloropsis oceanica biomass is proposed using high and ultra-high pressure-based processes. The effect of different pretreatments to weaken cell wall was evaluated before pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). PLE was optimized using an experimental design with ethanol as extraction solvent. Optimum extraction conditions were found at 57 °C and 3 extraction cycles, providing a total carotenoids content of 115.1 ± 0.6 mg/g extract. Then, the residual biomass was extracted using limonene, and an enriched-lipid fraction was obtained. In parallel, ultra-high pressure extraction (UHPE) was applied directly to dry biomass to simultaneously disrupt the cell wall and extract the valuable compounds. Results showed that UHPE technique did not improve carotenoids extraction compared to PLE, although the recovery of polyunsaturated fatty acids was significantly better. Moreover, extracts were chemically characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography detection and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection.

Efficient extraction and purification of benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids from Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. by combination of ultrahigh pressure extraction and pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography with anti-breast cancer activity in vitro.

Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. (Papaveraceae family) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine used to treat muscle pain, inflamed wounds, and bee bites. Benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids are the main active ingredients in M. cordata. In this work, sanguinarine and chelerythrine were efficiently extracted and purified by ultrahigh-pressure extraction (UHPE) technique and pH-zone-refining counter-current chromatography (PZRCCC) from M. cordata. To develop an efficient UHPE method followed by an efficient separation technique using PZRCCC for benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids from the study plant species, and to evaluate the study samples for anti-breast cancer activity. The optimal extraction conditions were optimised as extraction pressure 200 MPa, extraction solvent 95% ethanol, solid-liquid ratio 1:30 (g/mL) and extraction time 2 min. A two-phase n-hexane/ethyl acetate/i-propanol/water (1:3:1.5:4.5, v/v) solvent system was optimised with 10 mmol triethylamine in the upper phase and 10 mmol trifluoroacetic acid in lower phase in PZRCCC. The sample loading was optimised as 2.50 g. Moreover, the samples were evaluated for anti-breast cancer activity later on. The 2.50 g sample loading yielded 0.45 g of sanguinarine and 0.59 g chelerythrine in one-step separation using PZRCCC. The anti-breast cancer activities of sanguinarine and chelerythrine were found stronger than positive control (vincristine 5.04 μg/mL) with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 0.96 and 3.00 μg/mL, respectively. This study showed that the established methods were efficient in extraction (UHPE) and separation (PZRCCC) of the sanguinarine and chelerythrine from M. cordata.

Ultrahigh pressure extraction of polysaccharide from Morinda officinalis and effect on the polysaccharide structure

ABSTRACT In this study, we employed ultrahigh pressure extraction on polysaccharides from Morinda officinalis and evaluated its antioxidant activity. Other two extraction ways as supercritical assisted ultrasonic extraction (SCUE) and thermal reflux extraction were chosen as comparisons. Response surface analysis was used to optimize the Ultrahigh pressure extraction process, and the extraction rate and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides in vitro were also discussed. The results showed that the extraction rate of polysaccharides was significantly superior to the other two methods. Finally, we studied the effect of ultrahigh pressure on the microstructure of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides by infrared spectroscopy.

A Review of the Different Methods Applied in Ginsenoside Extraction From Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius Roots

Ginseng saponins, also called ginsenosides, are the main active ingredients of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius and are often used as qualitative and quantitative markers in the regulation of ginseng products. Various methods have been used to extract the major ginsenosides, such as ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, and Rf from P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius. The objective of this paper is to review the studies regarding the influence of different extraction systems on ginsenoside amount and pattern in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius roots. Although traditional extraction methods, Soxhlet and heat reflux extractions, have many disadvantages, including long extraction times and low extraction efficiency, they are the most widely used methods for ginseng saponin extraction. The amount and pattern of ginsenosides found in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius roots differ depending on the method of extraction. In particular, the total ginsenoside amount and extraction efficiency can be significantly increased with the use of advanced extraction techniques that apply the conditions of high temperature and/or high pressure, such as pressurized liquid extraction, high-pressure microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and pulsed electric field extraction. Among several advanced extraction procedures, ultrahigh-pressure extraction is thought to offer the most advanced and efficient technology in that it requires only a few minutes for ginseng saponin extraction.

Ultrahigh-pressure supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina seed lipids

An ultrahigh-pressure supercritical fluid extraction method was optimized and applied to extract seed oil lipids from two moringa species, namely Moringa oleifera (MO) and Moringa peregrina (MP). A full-factorial design was used to investigate the direct and interaction influence of pressure and temperature in the range of 40 to 80 MPa and 40 to 70 °C, respectively, on the extracted amount of oil from crushed seeds. The results revealed that pressure has a significant positive influence on the extracted amount of oil. The best extraction condition using neat CO2 was found at 80 MPa and 57 °C, yielding 396 ± 23 and 529 ± 26 mg oil per gram of seeds for MO and MP, respectively. An extraction kinetics study revealed a mainly solubility-controlled extraction of oil, and 28 g of CO2 was required to extract 400 mg of oil per gram of seeds of MO using the developed method. Addition of ethanol to the sample prior to the extraction increased the proportion of extractable polar lipids as well as the total amount of extracted oil. The developed method increased the extracted amount of oil twofold compared to a reference method based on solvent sonication. The obtained oil consisted mainly of glycerolipids, sterol esters, and phospholipids. Phospholipids, campesterol, and stigmasterol ester concentrations were found to be higher in MO while cholesterol ester was more abundant in MP.

Identification and Antioxidant Activity of Flavonoids Extracted from Xinjiang Jujube (Ziziphus jujube Mill.) Leaves with Ultra-High Pressure Extraction Technology.

In this study, the ultra-high pressure extraction (UHPE) conditions for obtaining the maximum flavonoid yield from Xinjiang jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) leaves (XJL) were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Box–Behnken design (BBD) was applied to evaluate the effects of four variables (extraction temperature, pressure, time and liquid-to-solid ratio) on flavonoid yield. The results showed that the optimal flavonoid yield (25.45 ± 0.21 mg/g) was derived at 50.0 °C, 342.39 MPa, 11.56 min, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 43.95 mL/g. Eight compounds were tentatively identified and quantified as kaempferol and quercetin glycosides with UPLC-ESI-MS. Compared to ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), UHPE can obtain higher concentrations of total flavonoids and stronger DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities in a much shorter time. Therefore, UHPE is an alternative to UAE for obtaining flavonoids from XJL, which may be an optional method for large-scale industrial flavonoid extraction from XJL.

Preparative Separation of Phenylethanoid and Secoiridoid Glycosides from Ligustri Lucidi Fructus by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography Coupled with Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction.

Three phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside (1), salidroside (3), and acteoside (6), and three secoiridoid glycosides, isonuezhenide (2), nuezhenoside G13 (4), and specnuezhenide (5), have been extracted and separated by a combined method of ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) and high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) from Ligustri Lucidi Fructus. For the UPE, the optimal extraction was developed with conditions including solvent of 90% ethanol, sample to solvent ratio of 1:20 g/mL, pressure of 200 MPa, and time of 2 min, which rendered the yields of compounds 4 and 5 were 15.0 and 78.0 mg/g, respectively. For the HSCCC separation, the strategy of changing flow rates between 1.0 and 2.0 mL/min allowed the acquisition for 2.7 mg of compound 1, 4.5 mg of compound 2, 6.8 mg of compound 3, 5.9 mg of compound 4, 11.2 mg of compound 5, and 2.2 mg of compound 6 in one separation run under the solvent system of ethyl acetate:n-butanol:water (2:1:3, v/v) from 200 mg of the UPE extract. The structures of these phenylethanoid and secoiridoid glycosides were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods.

Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Ultrahigh Pressure Extraction of Baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), promising green solvents, and ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) as an effective auxiliary extraction method, have attracted wide attention. In this study, DES was coupled with UPE to efficiently extract baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. First, choline chloride: lactic acid (ChCl-LA, molar ratio 1:1) was selected as the most appropriate DES by comparing the extraction yield of different DESs. Second, the extraction protocol was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) considering the impacts of ChCl-LA concentration, extraction pressure, extraction time and liquid-solid ratio on the extraction yield. Under the optimal condition (40 vol% water content, extraction pressure of 400 MPa, extraction time of 4 min and a liquid-solid ratio of 110 mL/g), a maximum yield of 116.8 mg/g was achieved, higher than that obtained by the traditional extraction method. The microstructure of the raw and extracted Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi samples according to scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the dissolution of chemical components was enhanced from the disrupted root tissues after DESs-UPE. DESs coupled with UPE could effectively extract the baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi as a rapid and efficient extraction method.

Micro-mechanism analysis of ultrahigh pressure extraction from green tea leaves by numerical simulation

Abstract Ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) technique displays great advantages in natural products extraction. According to literature, compared to conventional methods, UPE shows the significant advantages of less time consuming, higher extraction yields, less solvent consumption, higher purity of product. Moreover, UPE minimizes the heat generation which contributes to thermal degradation on bioactive components. So UPE has been considered to be a promising technique on extracting bioactive ingredients from biological material. Recent research declared that the high extraction efficiency of UPE should be attributed to disruption of cellular organelle, which causes enhancement of diffusion and mass transfer. The aim of this work is to explore the micro-mechanism of cell disruption and mass transfer across cell membrane when UPE works. Attempting finite element method, it showed that strain and stress concentration occurred on the organelle membrane under high hydrostatic pressure. The results might reveal the deformation of cellular structure, formation and development of cell failure. It helps establish mechanism model of cell disruption and mass transfer. In addition, it was found that cell with irregular shape performed higher sensitivity to pressure in simulation analysis. This result might provide new ideas in technique improvement.

Optimization, characterization, sulfation and antitumor activity of neutral polysaccharides from the fruit of Borojoa sorbilis cuter

Extraction optimization, purification, characterization, sulfation and antitumor activity of polysaccharides from the fruit body of Borojoa sorbilis cuter were investigated in present study. The optimal Ultrahigh Pressure extraction condition was determined as: extraction once with the solid-liquid ratio of 1:10 in 30°C and 1500Mpa for crude polysaccharide (BP) and experimental yield was 8.28%. Four water-soluble polysaccharides named as BP1-1, BP1-2, BP1-3 and BP1-4, with molecular weight of 35.8, 32.4, 30.1 and 27.7kDa, were purified by DEAE Sepharose and Superdex 200 chromatography. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic analyses, BP1-1–BP1-4 were found to be neutral β-d-galactan containing a (1→4)-linked backbone. S-BP1s with the DSS of 1.18, was sulfated by chloro-sulfonic acid-pyridine method. Furthermore, S-BP1s exhibited significant in vitro antitumor activity against liver cancer HepG2 and lung cancer A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The results indicated that S-BP1s could be potentially developed as functional antitumor drug.