Patent ID: 7514085

Claim:
An isolated composition comprising a mixture of polysaccharides, wherein the majority of the polysaccharides of the composition have a molecular weight of at least 30,000 Da, wherein a first part of said polysaccharides have a molecular weight of from 30,000 Da to 1,000,000 Da, wherein a second part of said polysaccharides have a molecular weight of at least 1,000,000 Da, wherein essentially no polysaccharides have a molecular weight of less than 30,000 Da, wherein said mixture of polysaccharides comprises the monosaccharides galactose, mannose and glucose in the ratio 1:0.033 to 500:1 to 50, and wherein the composition is produced by a method comprising the steps of a) cultivating a fungus of the genus Lentinus in a liquid growth medium under appropriate conditions to provide a suitable chemical and physical environment supporting the growth of a fungus of the genus Lentinus in a liquid growth medium, and b) isolating the composition from said liquid growth medium.