title: Effects of the molecular weight and the degree of deacetylation of chitosan oligosaccharides on antitumor activity.
abstract: Effects of the degree of deacetylation (DDA) and the molecular mass of chitosan oligosaccharides (CTS-OS), obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysis of high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC), on antitumor activity was explored. The DDA and molecular weights of CTS-OS were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The CTS-OS were found to be a mixture of mainly dimers (18.8%), trimers (24.8%), tetramers (24.9%), pentamers (17.7%), hexamers (7.1%), heptamers (3.3%), and octamers (3.4%). The CTS-OS were further fractionated by gel-filtration chromatography into two major fractions: (1) COS, consisting of glucosamine (GlcN)(n), n = 3-5 with DDA 100%; and (2) HOS, consisting of (GlcN)(5) as the minimum residues and varying number of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)(n), n = 1-2 with DDA about 87.5% in random order. The cytotoxicities, expressed as the concentration needed for 50% cell death (CC(50)), of CTS-OS, COS, and HOS against PC3 (prostate cancer cell), A549 (lung cancer cell), and HepG2 (hepatoma cell), were determined to be 25 μg·mL(-1), 25 μg·mL(-1), and 50 μg·mL(-1), respectively. The HMWC was approximately 50% less effective than both CTS-OS and COS. These results demonstrate that the molecular weight and DDA of chitosan oligosaccharides are important factors for suppressing cancer cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do 420-743, Korea; E-Mails: jamyeong@yahoo.co.kr (J.K.P.); mimichung@hanmail.net (M.J.C.); glitter_hana@naver.com (H.N.C.).
authors.forename: Jae Kweon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Mi Ja
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Ha Na
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yong Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D048271:Chitosan