Change of biological activities of (1.RAR.3)-.BETA.-D-glucan from Grifola frondosa upon molecular weight reduction by heat treatment.

Abstract
Changes of biological activities manifested by (1 .fwdarw. 6)-branched (1 .fwdarw. 3)-.beta.-D-glucans of various molecular weights obtained by heat treatment of the corresponding intact .beta.-glucan at 150.degree. C (HD-LE) were examined. The activities assessed in this study were as follows: an antitumor activity, activation of alternative complement pathway, glucose consumption by macrophages, macrophage-mediated lysosomal enzyme activity in culture supernatant and cell lysate, interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity, and adjuvant activity. HD-LE could be classified into three groups: 1) HD-LE 0 h (MW 800000) which activated all of the biological activities tested, 2) HD-LE 0.5 and 3 h (MW 250000 and 21000) which lacked or exhibited low levels of activities such as activation of alternative complement pathway and lysosomal enzyme secretion, 3) HD-LE 6 h (MW 6400) which only activated glucose consumption and synthesis of lysosomal enzyme. These results suggest that an antitumor glucan is not always a multiple enhancer of host defense mechanisms and that a large molecular weight is required to augment multiple immunological activities.

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