Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
O
CH
2
OH
O
Galactose
HO
OH
CH
2
OH
OH
O
O
O
O
HO
HO
OH
n
O
CH
2
OH
OH
O
Mannose
O
O
HO
m
A Galactomannan
FIGURE 5.7
Example of structure of a polysaccharide galactomannan, indicating both 1-4
or 1-6 linkages.
products to increase the viscosity and used as stabilizers, for example, in ice cream
to improve its texture.
Guar gum is an important industrial sugar used as an essential ingredient for
mining oil and natural gas in a process called hydraulic fracturing. In recent times,
the demand for guar has increased to such a degree that farmers living in poverty in
Northwestern India have reaped a windfall and their lives have been transformed due
to their ability to harvest the guar gum in their area.
5.7 IMMUNO PROPERTIES OF POLYSACCHARIDES: ECHINACEA
Polysaccharides are purportedly responsible for immune boosting properties. For
example, this explanation has been offered for the health benefits of a traditional
Western botanical medicine from
Echinacea purpurea
(Figure 5.8). This plant has
now been extensively studied and evidence suggests that the polysaccharides con-
tained in echinacea plants possess immune boosting properties.
5.8 POLYSACCHARIDES IN MUSHROOMS: GANODERMA
There is a lot of interest in the health properties of medicinal mushrooms, used
for centuries in Asian communities. Well-known medicinal mushrooms include
the following species:
Cordyceps
sp.,
Grifola
sp.,
Lentinus
sp.,
Tremella
sp.,
and
Pleurotus
sp. One particular example of a traditional Chinese medicinal mushroom
is
Ganoderma lucidum
(Figure 5.9), also known in China as “lingzhi” or “reishii.”
Research continues to focus on the immune boosting and antitumor properties of the
polysaccharides from these mushroom species.
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