Immunoactivities of the polysaccharides from Morus alba,Chlamydomonas mexicana and Poria cocos

Polysaccharides were extracted from young branches of Morus alba L. (M); a green alga, Chlamydomonas mexicana Lewin, (C₁ and C₂) and a fungus, Poria cocos (Fr.) Wolf, (P₁ and P₂). M consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose, C₁ of fucose, 2-MeO-arabinose, ribose, arabinose, 6-MeO-mannose, xylose, 2-deoxy-galactose, mannose, galactose and glucose, C₂ of 3-MeO-arabinose, arabinose, xylose, 2-MeO-galactose, galactose and glucose, P₁ was mannose, galactose, glucose and a small amount of ribose and P₂ consisted of erythritol, arabinose, glucose and muramic acid with the ratio of 1:1:4:1. Pharmacological tests for all of these polysaccharides were performed. Based on the results, M was less effective, but C₁ and C₂ were immunostimulant either in humoral immunity or in cellular immunity. C₂ was effective in nonspecific immunity only, and P₁ was as effective in humoral or in nonspecific immunities. P₂ expressed enhancement in humoral, cellular or nonspecific immunities, but its activities were less than P₁.