3.1.1 Isolation and Determination of GP
GP were extracted by using the classical method of hot water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. Then, Sevage reagent was used to deproteinate the aqueous extracts. The crude polysaccharide yield devoid of proteins was found to be 7.5% of the total dry weight. In addition, the polysaccharides were dissolved in water after alcohol precipitation, and the water solubility of the polysaccharides could be greatly increased. The extraction procedure is shown in Fig. 1A.