ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF DEGRADED PRODUCTS OF LENTINAN - ITS CORRELATION WITH MOLECULAR-WEIGHT

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 67  (2) , 191-195
Abstract
Lentinan, an antitumor polysaccharide from Lentinus edodes, was degraded to 7 fractions by treatment with formic acid. The low MW fractions (I and II) showed no antitumor activity against mouse sarcoma 180, and the absorption maximum of Congo red did not shift in their presence in 0.1 M sodium hydroxide. The medium MW fraction III, which required the increase of doses (5 or 10 mg/kg) for inhibition of tumor growth, caused a little shift. The absorption maximum of Congo red shifted largely by the presence of high MW fractions (IV .apprx. VII) which showed the inhibition ratio of over 95% in a dose of 1 mg/kg. Participation of MW in the antitumor activity of polysaccharides which contain a (1 .fwdarw. 3)-.beta.-D-glucan main chain was discussed.