[Purification and composition analysis of polysaccharide RCPS from Rhodiola crenulata]

Hot water extracting and ethanol precipitating method was employed to isolate polysaccharides. RCP (Rhodiola crenulata polysaccharide) was fractionally precipitated with EtOH. RCP3 (Rhodiola crenulata polysaccharide 3) was one of the three fractions. RCPS was obtained after RCP3 was purified by deproteination; decolourization and gel chromatography on Sephadex G-100. The homogeneity and molecular masses of RCPS were proved by HLGPC. The amount of total carbohydrates of RCPS was measured with phenol-sulfuric acid method. IR spectrometry and UV-spectrophotometer were used to determine the characteristic absorption of RCPS. The monosaccharides contained in the RCPS were analyzed by GC. The amount of total carbohydrates in RCPS is 99.11%. The molecular weight was 27 876. IR spectrometry analysis indicated that RCPS showed typical signals of acid polysaccharide, including signals at 3 424.83, 2 934.10, 1 742.11, 1 438.96, 1 261.40, 1 103.54 and 832.86 cm(-1); UV-spectrophotometer analysis indicated that RCPS showed a signal of polysaccharide at 195 nm and no signals of protein, nucleic acid at 260 and 280 nm. The monosaccharide constituents of RCPS were Rha, Ara, Xyl, Man, Glu, Gal and GalA, and their molar proportions were 1 : 2.96 : 0.21 : 0.26 : 0.08 : 0.58 and 0.15, respectively.