Structural characterization and antioxidant properties of an exopolysaccharide produced by the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. Y16.

A homogeneous exopolysaccharide, designated As1-1, was obtained from the culture medium of the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. Y16 and purified by anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography. Results of chemical and spectroscopic analyses, including one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D NMR) spectroscopy showed that As1-1 was mainly composed of mannose with small amounts of galactose, and that its molecular weight was about 15 kDa. The backbone of As1-1 mainly consists of (1→2)-linked α-d-mannopyranose units, substituted at C-6 by the (1→6)-linked α-d-mannopyranose, (1→)-linked β-d-galactofuranose and (1→)-linked β-d-mannopyranose units. As1-1 possessed good in vitro antioxidant activity as evaluated by scavenging assays involving 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radicals. The investigation demonstrated that As1-1 is an exopolysaccharide different from those of other marine microorganisms, and could be a potential antioxidant and food supplement.