Planta Med 2001; 67(5): 428-431
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-15822
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Acidic Polysaccharides from Rhizomes of Atractylodes lancea as Protective Principle in Candida-Infected Mice

Nobuyuki Inagaki1,*, Yasushi Komatsu1 , Hiroshi Sasaki1 , Hiroaki Kiyohara2 , Haruki Yamada2 , Hiroko Ishibashi3 , Shigeru Tansho3 , Hideyo Yamaguchi3 , Shigeru Abe3
  • 1 Kampo & Pharmacognosy Laboratory, Tsumura & Co., Ibaraki, Japan
  • 2 Oriental Medicine Research Center, The Kitasato Institute, Tokyo, Japan
  • 3 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

June 19, 2000

December 10, 2000

Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)

Abstract

Prophylactic effects upon imunnosuppressed mice lethally infected by Candida albicans were examined in fractions prepared from a constituent herb of Juzen-taiho-to (TJ-48, Si-Quan-Da-Bu-Tang), rhizomes of Atractylodes lancea DC. The oral administration of water extract obtained from a residue after MeOH extraction of rhizomes significantly prolonged the survival period of the infected mice at a dose of 140 mg/kg/day compared with control mice, while the MeOH extract did not. In the crude polysaccharide fraction (F-2) obtained by EtOH precipitation of the water extract, a significant life-prolonging effect was observed by the administration of 70 mg/kg/day. F-2 was further fractionated, and the resulting strongly acidic polysaccharide fraction, F-2-2, had a protective effect at a dose of 17.5 mg/kg/day. This fraction mainly consisted of acidic pectic polysaccharides containing about 80 % galacturonic acid. The protective activity of F-2-2 was lost by periodate oxidation, but not by protease digestion, suggesting that the polysaccharide component of F-2-2 plays a major role in the protective activity against Candida-infected mice.

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Nobuyuki Inagaki

Kampo & Pharmacognosy Laboratory

Tsumura & Co.

3586 Yoshiwara

Ami-machi

Ibaraki 300-1192

Japan

Email: inagaki_nobuyuki@mail.tsumura.co.jp

Fax: 0298-89-2158