title: Reticuloendothelial system-activating polysaccharides from rhizomes of Panax japonicus. I. Tochibanan-A and -B.
abstract: From rhizomes of Panax japonicus (Araliaceae), two polysaccharides named tochibanan-A and -B, which show reticuloendothelial-potentiating activity in the carbon clearance test in mice, were isolated. The structure of tochibanan-A (molecular mass: 23,000) was elucidated as a linear beta-1,4-D-galactan. Tochibanan-B (molecular mass: 40,000) consists of D-galactose (87.1%), L-arabinose, D-glucose and D-galacturonic acid and has a beta-D-(1----4)-linked galactopyranosyl backbone possessing GalA-(1----6)-Gal, Ara-(1----5)-Ara, Gal, and Glc side chains. The structure around the branching points and the repeating unit were investigated and a possible structure of tochibanan-B is proposed.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatono
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D005685:Galactans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000187:drug effects*; D005894:Panax / Q000032:analysis*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005685:Galactans; D011134:Polysaccharides; C062851:tochibanan A; C062852:tochibanan B