title: Polysaccharide from Aspalathus linearis with strong anti-HIV activity.
abstract: Polysaccharide that has been extracted with 1% sodium carbonate from Rooibos leaves (Aspalathus linearis) showed strong anti-HIV activity. Du-Zhong leaves also showed anti-HIV activity, although lower than the extract of Aspalathus linearis, but Japanese tea leaves and a hot water extract of Aspalathus linearis did not. The anti-HIV activity of the alkaline extract from Aspalathus linearis was recovered mainly in the 25-75% ethanol-precipitated fraction. The polysaccharide almost completely inhibited the binding of HIV-1 to MT-4 cells. It is inferred from these results that the polysaccharide from Aspalathus linearis is involved in the mechanism for virus binding to T cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Japan. m_nakano@amugw.aichi-med-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002254:Carbonates / Q000737:chemistry; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002845:Chromatography; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002254:Carbonates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D000431:Ethanol; C005686:sodium carbonate