Bioactive Polysaccharides from TCM Herbs as Anti-Cancer Adjuvants

Purpose: To review the nature, extent, bioactivities and clinical application of bioactive polysaccharides in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), especially as adjuvants in cancer treatment. Methodology: Literature Review. Findings: Many fungal and plant derived bioactive polysaccharides with a broad range of immunomodulatory activities are found in TCM. Some such polysaccharides have been developed into drugs and showed clinical efficacy in controlled trials while the majority of such compounds remain as nutraceuticals with only preliminary research. Such polysaccharides are generally non-toxic and also possess other bioactivities such as inducing differentiation, stimulating hematopoiesis, anti-metastasis, and antiangiogenesis, which make them ideal adjuvants in modern cancer therapy. Conclusion: Bioactive polysaccharides occur extensively in TCM herbs and is the basis of potential useful application of TCM as adjuvant in