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A crude polysaccharide fraction (cDOP) has been determined to be the characteristic marker of Dendrobium officinale, an expensive tea material in Asia, but its chemistry and bioactivity have not been studied. In work reported here, cDOP was de-starched (DOP, 90% yield), and separated into two polysaccharides, DOP-1 and DOP-2, which were characterized by monosaccharide composition and methylation analyses, and spectral analyses (FT-IR and 1 H and 13 C NMR). Both are composed of mannose and glucose, at similar ratios; and have a similar structure with a backbone of 1,4-linked β-D-mannopyranosyl and β-D-glucopyranosyl residues. Significant differences were observed only in their molecular weights. Bioassay using mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 indicated that DOP and its two sub-fractions enhance cell proliferation, TNF-α secretion, and phagocytosis in a dose-dependent manner. They also induced the proliferation of lymphocytes alone and with mitogens. DOP-1 and DOP-2 are thus proven to be major, active polysaccharide markers of D. officinale.

A 10‐week feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplemental betaine on growth performance, body composition and lipid deposition in allogynogenetic gibel carp. Four isoproteic (37% crude protein) and isolipidic (5% crude lipid) artificial diets with 0%, 0.08%, 0.4% and 2% betaine supplementation were formulated, and named VB0, VB0.08, VB0.4 and VB2, respectively. Each diet was fed in triplicate to fish about 10 g in weight. The results showed that 0.4% betaine supplementation significantly improved growth performance and reduced lipid content in the hepatopancreas, muscle and the whole body compared with the control group. Moreover, both fatty acid synthase and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase, two important lipogenic genes, showed significantly lower expression in the VB0.4 group than in the control group, and a strong correlation was detected between lipid content and mRNA expression levels for FAS and ACC in the hepatopancreas. Taken together, appropriate (0.4%) betaine supplementation in the diet not only improved growth, but also reduced lipid deposition in allogynogenetic gibel carp, probably by diminishing lipogenic gene expression.