title: Biochemical properties of polysaccharides from black pepper.
abstract: The purified polysaccharides from Piper nigrum were prepared as follows: a hot water extract of pepper seeds was fractionated by ultrafiltration with a 5-kDa-membrane cartridge. A fraction with 5 kDa or bigger molecules was successively purified by open column chromatography on DEAE-Toyopearl 650C and Bio-gel P-60 with each active fraction, resulting in PN-Ib and PN-IIa, purified anti-complementary polysaccharides. None of the anti-complementary activity of any polysaccharide was changed by pronase digestion or polymyxin B treatment, but they were decreased by periodate oxidation. Analysis of component sugar and molecular mass determination of the anti-complementary polysaccharides indicated that PN-Ib with an average molecular mass of 21 kDa contained 88.5% glucose and other negligible minor monosaccharides, while PN-IIa showed a different monosaccharide composition, which contained a significant proportion of galactose, arabinose, galacturonic acid and rhamnose. The molar ratio of galactose and arabinose of PN-IIa (48 kDa) was 1.93:1. PN-1 did not react with beta-glucosyl Yariv reagent, however, PN-IIa did react, which indicated that PN-IIa might be an arabinogalactan. Based upon these results, the usefulness of purified anti-complementary polysaccharides from Piper nigrum is suggested as a supplement for immune enhancement.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biotechnology, Korea University, Sungbuk-Ku, Seoul.
authors.forename: Hyug
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Bum Shik
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Won Dai
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hong Yon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Han Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D029222:Piper nigrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides