title: Characterization of anti-complement compounds from Azadirachta indica.
abstract: The crude aqueous extract of Azadirachta indica bark possesses an inhibitory activity on both classical (CP) and alternative pathway (AP) activation of human complement. Purification of the compounds with the guidance of the AP-inhibitory activity involved extraction with methanol, dialysis, ion-exchange procedures and gel-permeation chromatography. This sequence yielded two polymers, NB-I and NB-II, one a highly active compound with a relatively low molecular weight (NB-II) and the other a less active compound with a high molecular weight (NB-I). The polymers were characterized by using colour reactions, TLC, GLC and HPLC after hydrolysis and gel-permeation chromatography as peptidoglycans. The carbohydrate part consisted predominantly of glucose. Arabinose, galactose and mannose were present in minor amounts (NB-II) or only as traces (NB-I). Protein was present for 5.5% in NB-I and for 9.8% in NB-II.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Faculty, State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van der Nat
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: van der Sluis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Labadie
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins; D003956:Dialysis; D007194:India; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013188:Sri Lanka
chemical_list: D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins; D009005:Monosaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010940:Plant Proteins