Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 358-370 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 359 To overcome these obstacles, researchers have developed a series of chemical modification strategies, such as sulfation, phosphorylation, selenization, and acetylation, to improve the physicochemical properties and biological activities of Cordyceps polysaccharides (Liu et al., 2017; Sun et al., 2018; Xie et al., 2020; Zhao et al., 2023). These chemical modifications can improve their solubility, stability, and tumor targeting ability, thereby enhancing their anti-tumor effects and expanding their application prospects in cancer treatment. This study looked at how to change Cordyceps polysaccharides using different chemical methods. It focused on how these changes in structure can affect their ability to fight tumors. By comparing different ways to modify them, the goal was to make these natural compounds work better. The results offer useful information for making new anti-tumor drugs fromCordyceps. These drugs could become a safer and more effective choice for treating cancer in the future. 2 Extraction, Purification, and Characterization of Cordyceps Polysaccharides 2.1 Extraction and purification techniques for Cordyceps polysaccharides Hot water extraction is still the most commonly used method for isolating Cordyceps polysaccharides, usually supplemented by an alcohol precipitation step to concentrate and preliminarily purify the crude extract. In order to improve the yield and extraction efficiency of polysaccharides, enzymatic extraction and enzyme-assisted ultrasonic extraction have also been used in recent years. The optimized extraction conditions can effectively improve the recovery rate and biological activity of polysaccharides (Wang et al., 2024; Yao et al., 2024; Li et al., 2025). These extraction strategies are applicable to the fruiting bodies and mycelium of Cordyceps, whether they are wild or cultivated, or cultivated under fermentation conditions (Zhang et al., 2019; Wu et al., 2024). In the subsequent purification process, column chromatography techniques, such as ion exchange chromatography (such as DEAE-cellulose) and gel filtration chromatography (such as Sephadex G-100, G-150), are often used to effectively separate polysaccharide components by differences in charge and molecular size (Cheong et al., 2016; Luo et al., 2017; Shi et al., 2020; Yao et al., 2024; Li et al., 2025). In addition, membrane separation techniques, such as ultrafiltration, are also widely used to separate polysaccharide components in a specific molecular weight range and remove impurities (Liu et al., 2017). 2.2 Structural characterization of Cordyceps polysaccharides Cordyceps polysaccharides are usually heteropolysaccharides, composed of monosaccharides such as glucose, mannose, and galactose in different proportions. Their molecular weight ranges from thousands of daltons to millions of daltons, and this structural diversity has an important impact on their biological activity (Cheong et al., 2016; Shi et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2020; Yao et al., 2024; Li et al., 2025). In order to determine its monosaccharide composition and molecular weight distribution, analytical techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gel permeation chromatography are often used. More in-depth structural analysis relies on advanced methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These methods can reveal the type of glycosidic bonds, branching patterns, and conformational characteristics, thus providing important evidence for studying the relationship between its structure and function (Cheong et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2020). 2.3 Biological properties of native Cordyceps polysaccharides Native Cordyceps polysaccharides have immunomodulatory effects, promoting the proliferation of lymphocytes and macrophages, enhancing phagocytic function, and stimulating the secretion of multiple cytokines, like nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (Zhang et al., 2020; Yao et al., 2024; Li et al., 2025). At the same time, they also show strong antioxidant capacity, can scavenge free radicals and protect cells from oxidative stress damage, and their antioxidant effects are comparable to those of conventional antioxidants (Shi et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2024).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==