Purification, preliminary characterization and bioactivities of polysaccharides from Ostrea rivularis Gould

In this study, purification, preliminary characterization and biological activities of water-soluble polysaccharides from Ostrea rivularis Gould (ORP) were investigated. Firstly, crude ORP was extracted by enzyme-assisted extraction and then sequentially purified by chromatography of DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100, producing one main purified fractions of ORPp. Furthermore, the preliminary characterization of ORPp was studied, and its antioxidant and spermatogenesis activities were evaluated. Experimental results showed that ORPp was mainly composed of glucose (76.3%) and galactose (23.7%). The average molecular weight of ORPp was 118 kDa. Besides, ORPp showed strong antioxidant activities in vitro. For the experiments of antioxidant activities in vivo, ORPp can significantly inhibited the formation of MDA in rats' serums, and raised the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the level of total antioxidant capacity (TAOC). Furthermore, ORPp could significantly increase the weights of male rats' sexual organs, promote sperm motility and raise epididymal sperm counts. These results suggest that ORPp could be a new source of natural antioxidants and spermatogenic agent with its potential usage in developing novel supplements and medicines.