Analysis of the Chemical Constituents of Agaricus brasiliensis

This study examined the chemical composition of A. blasiliensis and the chemical structural properties of an immuno-stimulating polysaccharide. The amino acids, free sugars, and organic acids by HPLC and fatty acids by GC were analyzed. The immuno-stimulating substance from A. blasiliensis was extracted with hot water and purified by ethanol precipitation. It underwent ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on Toyopearl HW 65F. Through GP-HPLC, the substance was found to be homogeneous. Its chemical structure was determined by $^{13}C-NMR$. Fatty acids, organic acids, and sugar alcohol composition consisted exclusively of linoleic acid, fumaric acid and mannitol, respectively. The amino acids were mainly glutamic acid, glycine, and arginine. By $^{13}C-NMR$ analysis, the immuno-stimulating substance was identified as ${\beta}-(1{\rightarrow}3)\;(1{\rightarrow}6)$-glucan, composed of a backbone with $(1{\rightarrow}3)$-linked D-glucopyranosyl residues branching a $(1{\rightarrow}6)$-linked D-glucopyranosyl residue. The ${\beta}$-glucan from A. blasiliensis showed pronounced immuno-stimulating activity on the antibody-production ability of B-lymphocytes by the hemolytic suspension assay. In these results, A. blasiliensis was estimated to have potent pharmacological properties and potential nutritional values.