title: Structural characterization and antitumor activity of a pectic polysaccharide from the roots of Angelica acutiloba.
abstract: The polysaccharide fraction from the root of Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa showed a potent antitumor activity against ascitic form of Sarcoma-180, IMC carcinoma, and Meth A fibrosarcoma as well as the solid form of MM-46 tumor. An active polysaccharide, AR-4E-2, was purified by precipitation with cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide, anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, and gel filtration on Sepharose CL-4B from the polysaccharide fraction. An active polysaccharide fraction showed a weak anti-complementary activity. AR-4E-2 was composed of arabinose, galactose, and rhamnose in the molar ratios of 3.3:1.0:0.7, and also contained 14.5% galacturonic acid and 3.2% protein. Methylation analysis and base-catalysed beta-elimination studies suggested that AR-4E-2 contained a rhamnogalacturonan moiety in which 2,4-di-substituted rhamnose residues were attached to 4-substituted galacturonic acid through position 2 of rhamnose. AR-4E-2 also contained highly branched 3,5-arabinan and (1----4)-galactan.
authors.affiliation: Oriental Medicine Research Center, Kitasato Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cyong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic