title: Arabinogalactan core structure and immunological activities of ukonan C, an acidic polysaccharide from the rhizome of Curcuma longa.
abstract: Controlled Smith degradation of ukonan C, a phagocytosis-activating polysaccharide isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L., was performed. The reticuloendothelial system-potentiating, anti-complementary and alkaline phosphatase-inducing activities of ukonan C and its degradation products were investigated. Methylation analyses of the primary and secondary Smith degradation products and of a de-arabinosylated product indicated that structural features of the arabinogalactan core of ukonan C include a backbone chain composed of beta-1,3-linked D-galactose and beta-1,4-linked D-xylose. All of the galactose units in the backbone carry side chains composed of beta-1,6-linked D-galactosyl residues with or without terminal alpha-L-arabinose units at position 3. Ukonan C showed remarkable effects on both reticuloendothelial system-potentiating and alkaline phosphatase-inducing activities. Periodate oxidation caused a decrease in or disappearance of the immunological activities, but the controlled Smith degradation product having the arabinogalactan core structure of polysaccharide showed a pronounced effect on anti-complementary activity.
authors.affiliation: Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomoda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005685:Galactans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins; D005685:Galactans; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C082977:ukonan C; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; C005653:arabinogalactan