Rapid and efficient microwave-assisted sulfate modification of lentinan and its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities in vitro

Lentinan (LNT) is a highly functional biomacromolecule, and its sulfated derivatives (sLNT) exhibit improved pharmacological properties compared to LNT. In the present study, LNT extracted from the fermentation broth of Lentinus edodes was sulfated using two methods, conventional heating and novel microwave radiation, and their biological activities were evaluated using an antioxidant system and an antiproliferation cell model. Our results indicate that the two sulfated derivates have similar physicochemical properties and spectroscopic profiles. Nevertheless, microwave radiation produced a higher yield of sLNT, with a shorter processing time and lower degradation. In contrast to LNT, the sLNT derivatives exhibited a strong antioxidant activity in vitro. In addition, the derivatives exhibited a significant antiproliferative effect on leukemia cells, whereas LNT exhibited the opposite outcome.