An Efficient Separation Method of Polysaccharides: Preparation of an Antitumor Polysaccharide APS-2 from Auricularia polytricha by Radial Flow Chromatography

Auricularia polytricha is an edible mushroom, quite popular in China. Modern pharmacology research indicate that A. polytricha polysaccharides possess antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. In this paper, an antitumor Auricularia polytricha polysaccharide (APS)-2 was purified by radial flow chromatography (RFC) in a column of 500 mL bed-volume (40 cm i.d × 15 cm) packed with DEAE52-cellulose anion ion-exchange resin. The optimal separation conditions were: sample flow-velocity 15–20 mL min^?1, sample volume 160–200 mL, and elution with distilled water and 0.2 M NaCl at a velocity of 35–45 mL min^?1. The yield and content of APS-2 obtained under these conditions were 182 mg g^?1 total polysaccharides and 98.35 %, respectively. The study provides guidelines for the separation and purification of polysaccharides using a radial flow chromatography column.