Composition of water-soluble polysaccharides from Calendula officinalis L. flowers

Water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPS) were isolated from Calendula officinalis flowers using aqueous extraction followed by precipitation with EtOH and dialysis through a semi-permeable membrane. The WSPS were standardized with respect to uronic acid, protein, and nucleic acid content. Total WSPS were separated into five main components (PSC-1, PSC-2, PSC-3, PSC-4, PSC-5) by ion-exchange chromatography over DEAE cellulose. The main components in WSPS from C. officinalis were acidic polysaccharides (rhamnogalactouronan I).