The antioxidant activities of phosphorylated polysaccharide from native ginseng.

The extraction method and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from native ginseng were studied. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: the ratio of material to liquid (g/mL) was 1/25, the extraction temperature was 85 °C, the ultrasonic power was 195 W, and the action time was 60 min. The yield of polysaccharide was 27%. The polysaccharide was chemically modified with phosphorus oxychloride-pyridine to obtain phosphorylated derivative. Antioxidant test showed that polysaccharide from native ginseng had significant scavenging effect on free radicals. It indicated that the phosphorylated derivative had higher scavenging ability to every kind of radicals than the underivatized polysaccharide. The polysaccharide and its phosphorylated derivative had strong antioxidant activity, which could provide scientific basis for the comprehensive utilization and development of the resources of native ginseng.