On the water-soluble heterogalactan from the fruit bodies of Lentinus edodes.

The chemical structure of a heterogalactan isolated from the trichloracetic acid extract of the fruit bodies of Lentinus edodes is reported. It consists of a main chain of (1 yields 6)-linked alpha-D-galactopyranose residues, part of which are substituted in the 2-position either with single L-fucopyranose or D-mannopyranose residues. However, there is a possible alternative structure of a branched D-galactan in which most of the side-chains are terminated with L-fucose or D-mannose residues.