Two acidic polysaccharides from the flowers of Chrysanthemum morifolium.

Two new acidic polysaccharides, F4 and F5, were isolated from the flowers of Chrysanthemum morifolium. Monosaccharide analysis indicated that F4 contained arabinose, galactose and galacturonic acid units in a molar ratio of 1.0:2.3:6.8 and F5 contained arabinose, rhamnose galactose and galacturonic acid units in a molar ratio of 1.0:3.2:1.0:4.3. The results of methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis and NMR spectral analysis indicated that F4 had a homogalacturonan main chain with arabinogalactan side chain linked to 3 position of (1 --> 3,4)-linked galacturonan and F5 had a rhamnogalacturonan main chain with arabinogalactan side chain linked to 3 position of (1 --> 3,4)-linked galacturonan or 4 position of (1 --> 2,4)-linked rhamnose. Biological tests revealed that F4 and F5 could simulate the mitogen induced T and B lymphocyte proliferation in vitro.