Cordysinocan, a polysaccharide isolated from cultured Cordyceps, activates immune responses in cultured T-lymphocytes and macrophages: signaling cascade and induction of cytokines.

Cordyceps sinensis, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, possesses activities in anti-tumor, anti-oxidation and stimulating the immune response; however, the identity of active component(s) is not determined. A strain of Cordyceps sinensis, namely UST 2000, has been isolated. By using activity-guided purification, a novel polysaccharide of molecular weight approximately 82 kDa was isolated from the conditioned medium of cultured Cordyceps. The isolated exo-polysaccharide, namely cordysinocan, contains glucose, mannose, galactose in a ratio of 2.4:2:1. In cultured T-lymphocytes, application of cordysinocan induced the cell proliferation and the secretion of interleukin-2, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8. In addition, the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) was induced transiently by the treatment of cordysinocan. Moreover, application of cordysinocan in cultured macrophages increased the phagocytosis activity and the enzymatic activity of acid phosphatase. These results therefore verify the important role of Cordyceps polysaccharide in triggering such immune responses.