Study on extraction methods of polysaccharides from a processed product of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx.

Traditional Chinese medicine PaoTianXiong (PTX) is a processed product of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. with polysaccharide as the main ingredient. The properties of PTX polysaccharide (PTXP) may be affected by different extraction methods. To develop and utilize PTXP better, it is of great significance to study the extraction methods of PTXP. Thus, we extracted PTXPs with dilute alkaline water extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, cellulase-assisted extraction, and hot water extraction (HWE), respectively. The characterizations of PTXPs extracted by different methods were analyzed based on purity determination, infrared analysis, molecular weight and monosaccharide composition. And antioxidant experiments of PTXPs were conducted. The results showed that PTXPs extracted by the four extraction methods were all glucan. After purification, the PTXPs showed similar antioxidant activity in vitro. The molecular weight of polysaccharides extracted by the cellulase-assisted method was different from that extracted by the other three methods. Our results showed that not only the yield but also the effect of extraction methods on the properties of PTXP should be considered when selecting the best extraction method. Therefore, HWE was considered to be the best extraction method of PTXP. The yield and purity of purified PTXP were 24.5% and 97.1%, respectively. The optimized extraction conditions were: an extraction temperature of 90 °C, extraction time of 2.17 h, solid–liquid ratio of 1 : 29 (g mL(−1)), and number of extractions of 2.