title: Activation of macrophages by crude polysaccharide fractions obtained from shoots of Glycyrrhiza glabra and hairy roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in vitro.
abstract: Many plant polysaccharide fractions have been reported as immunomodulatory agents. However, sometimes the possibility of contamination with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent B cell mitogen and immune modulator, is discussed. In the present paper, we investigated the effects of crude polysaccharide fractions obtained from the shoot and hairy root of Glycyrrhizae sp. on murine peritoneal macrophage function, in order to clarify whether plants grown under aseptic conditions produce immunomodulatory polysaccharides. All crude polysaccharide fractions induced nitric oxide production by murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Chemical analysis revealed that LPS-like molecules were not present in all preparations. These results suggested that shoot and hairy root biosynthesized polysaccharides that could stimulate macrophages de novo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Plant Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terawaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oguri
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimatsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimomura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D009569:Nitric Oxide