title: Isolation and structural characterization of an immunostimulating polysaccharide from fuzi, Aconitum carmichaeli.
abstract: A water-soluble polysaccharide named as FPS-1 was isolated from fuzi, the root of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. by hot-water extraction, anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography and tested for its pharmacological activities. Its structural characteristics were investigated by FTIR, HPLC, NMR spectroscopy, methylation analysis and GLC-MS. Based on the data obtained, FPS-1 was determined to be an alpha-(1-->6)-d-glucan, with a weight-average molecular weight of about 14,000Da. The glucan is highly branched with a single glucose at the C-3 position every four residues, on average, along the main chain. In immunopharmacological studies, FPS-1 showed potent stimulating effects on murine lymphocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide both in vitro and in vivo as well as on splenocyte antibody production.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhongshan Medical College, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 5100800, PR China.
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Weikang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D031841:Aconitum / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C510406:FPS-1 polysaccharide; D011134:Polysaccharides