Purification and Characterization of a Low Molecular Weight Neutral Non-Starch Polysaccharide from Panax ginseng by Enzymatic Hydrolysis

In this study, a novel neutral non-starch polysaccharide (GP1A) was extracted using hot water from ginseng roots. Chemical characteristics, monosaccharide compositions and structure of GP1A were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography with mass spectrometer, one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. The results indicated that the lyophilized GP1A was a homogeneous polysaccharide with a low molecular weight of 1.03 kDa. The dominating monosaccharides of GP1A were d -glucose, d -galactose, d -mannose, d -xylose and d -arabinose. The structure analysis indicated the main chain residues sequence of GP1A was α- d -Glc p -(6 → 3)-α- d -Gal p -(1 → 1)-α- d -Glc p -(3 → 4)-β- d -Man p -(2 → 2)-β- d -Ara p with branch chains of α- d -Glc p substituted at α- d -Gal p and β- d -Xyl p substituted at β- d -Man p .