Abstract: Separation and preliminary structure of polysaccharides from Sophora alopecuraides L.seeds were investigated.Crude polysaccharides extracted from Sophora alopecuraides L.seeds by hot water were fractionated by DEAE-Sepharose fast flow column into two fractions named SPN and SPA.The preliminary structure of fraction SPN and SPA was analyzed by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC),gas chromatograph (GC),UV and IR spectroscopy.SPN and SPA were not further fractionated by gel filtration chromatography on a Sepharose CL-6B column as homogeneous in molecular weight:their molecular weights were 1.217×10⁶ Da and 4.412×10⁵ Da,respectively.SPN and SPA by FT-IR analysis had characteristic absorption peaks of polysaccharide.The monosaccharide compositions of SPN and SPA were arabinose:xylose:mannose:glucose:galactose =7.90:11.24:86.24:18.81:16.89, and rhamnose:arabinose:xylose:mannose:glucose:galactose =1.50:5.80:1.72:20.10:1.64:27.20. The separation and preliminary structure of polysaccharides from Sophora alopecuraides L.seeds will provide the theoretical basis for the systematic study of its bioactive components.

Key words: Sophora alopecuraides L.seeds, polysaccharides, separation, preliminary structure