Abstract
Modern research has found that Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides (PUP) mainly exhibit immunoregulation. However, the immune function of a polysaccharide composition consisting of GLP and PUP has not been studied. In this study, we developed a polysaccharide composition consisting of GLP and PUP in a ratio of 3:1 (named GPP). The immunoregulation of GPP was detected in RAW264.7 macrophages. Then, the acute oral toxicity of GPP and the effect of GPP on immunoregulation in mice was detected. The results showed that GPP enhanced the function of macrophage RAW264.7 cells through improving phagocytic ability, nitric oxide (NO) production and the mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. GPP belonged to the non-toxic grade in mice. Moreover, GPP significantly improved macrophage phagocytic function and the activity of natural killer (NK) cells after being administered to mice at a dose of 0, 3.6, 120, 360 mg/kg body weight (mg/kg BW) orally for 30 days. Taken together, these findings suggested that GPP moderately regulated immune function in mice, which contributes to the further development and utilization of GLP and PUP in immune function.