Abstract: Chrysanthemum indicum L. was used as a heat-clearing and detoxication herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The studies indicated that the polysaccharide played a critical role in its medical effects, but there was no report about the details of the structural features of the homogenous polysacchatide from Chrysanthemum indicum L. In order to identify the structural features for the quality control, systematical studies of Chrysanthemum indicum L. were performed. A water soluble neutral polysaccharide(CIP-C) was obtained from Chrysanthemum indicum L. by hot water extraction, precipitation with ethanol, separation and purification through DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow ion exchange chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 gel permeation chromatograph. By means of GC-MS, NMR, partially acid hydrolysis and methylation reaction, the structure of CIP-C was identified. The results show that CIP-C is a heteropolysaccharide, which is mainly composed of D-Man, D-Glc and D-Gal, with a small quantity of D-Fuc, L-Ara and D-Xyl. The backbone of CIP-C is linked by β(or α)-D-1,4-Man, β-D-1,6-Glc and β-D-1,4-Gal. In addition, T-Araf, 1,5-Araf and T-Gal, 1,4-Gal, 1,3,6-Gal, 1,3,4,6-Gal may be linked as an arabinan branch and an AGI arabinogalactan branch. In this paper, CIP-C was firstly reported as a new neutral branched polysaccharide from Chrysanthemum indicum L.

Key words: Chrysanthemum indicum L., Polysaccharide, Methylation reaction, Partially acid hydrolysis