The antitumor and immunostimulating activities of water soluble polysaccharides from Radix Aconiti, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii.

Abstract

In the present study, the water-soluble polysaccharides of Radix Aconiti, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii, were extracted and fractionated into four fractions of each material. The FT-IR and chemical analyses indicated the water-soluble polysaccharides of the three materials were all mainly composed of starch, non-starch type alpha-D-glucans and pectic polysaccharides with different molecular weight distributions and monosaccharide composition ratios. The antitumor assay showed that all the non-starch type polysaccharide fractions had good antitumor activities, and the tumor growth inhibition ratios were 37.24-70.42%. Specifically the inhibition ratios of pectic polysaccharides were over 60%. Moreover, the immunological tests using the Cyclophosphamide (Cy) induced immunosuppressive mice, including phagocytosis of macrophage, NK cell activity, concanavalin A (ConA)-induced T-cell proliferation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced B-cell proliferation, quantitative haemolysis of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and dinitro-fluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response assays, exhibited that all the non-starch type polysaccharides, especially the pectic polysaccharide fractions, not only had remarkable immunostimulating activities including nonspecific immunity, cellular immunity and humoral immunity, but also could restore the antitumor drug-suppressed immune function. Therefore, the polysaccharides from Aconitum species might be conveniently exploited to be good immune stimulating modifiers and had the potential to apply in the tumor therapy.

• Authors: Tingting Gao, Hongtao Bi, Shuai Ma, Jingmei Lu
• Journal: Natural product communications (Nat Prod Commun) Vol. 5 Issue 3 Pg. 447-55 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1934-578X [Print] United States
• PMID: 20420326 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Adjuvants, Immunologic
• Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Monosaccharides
• Plant Extracts
• Polysaccharides
• Water
• Cyclophosphamide

Topics

• Aconitum (chemistry)
• Adjuvants, Immunologic (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating (pharmacology)
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Cyclophosphamide (pharmacology)
• Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
• Female
• Hemolysis (drug effects)
• Hypersensitivity, Delayed (immunology)
• Killer Cells, Natural (drug effects, immunology)
• Lymphocytes (drug effects)
• Macrophages (drug effects)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred ICR
• Molecular Weight
• Monosaccharides (chemistry)
• Phagocytosis (drug effects)
• Plant Extracts (chemistry)
• Plant Roots (chemistry)
• Polysaccharides (chemistry, pharmacology)
• Water