The antitumor and immunostimulating activities of water soluble polysaccharides from Radix Aconiti, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii

Nat Prod Commun. 2010 Mar;5(3):447-55.

Abstract

In the present study, the water-soluble polysaccharides of Radix Aconiti, Radix Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii, were extracted and fractionated into four fractions of each material. The FT-IR and chemical analyses indicated the water-soluble polysaccharides of the three materials were all mainly composed of starch, non-starch type alpha-D-glucans and pectic polysaccharides with different molecular weight distributions and monosaccharide composition ratios. The antitumor assay showed that all the non-starch type polysaccharide fractions had good antitumor activities, and the tumor growth inhibition ratios were 37.24-70.42%. Specifically the inhibition ratios of pectic polysaccharides were over 60%. Moreover, the immunological tests using the Cyclophosphamide (Cy) induced immunosuppressive mice, including phagocytosis of macrophage, NK cell activity, concanavalin A (ConA)-induced T-cell proliferation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced B-cell proliferation, quantitative haemolysis of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and dinitro-fluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response assays, exhibited that all the non-starch type polysaccharides, especially the pectic polysaccharide fractions, not only had remarkable immunostimulating activities including nonspecific immunity, cellular immunity and humoral immunity, but also could restore the antitumor drug-suppressed immune function. Therefore, the polysaccharides from Aconitum species might be conveniently exploited to be good immune stimulating modifiers and had the potential to apply in the tumor therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Aconitum / chemistry*
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / chemistry*
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cyclophosphamide / pharmacology
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Female
  • Hemolysis / drug effects
  • Hypersensitivity, Delayed / immunology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Molecular Weight
  • Monosaccharides / chemistry
  • Phagocytosis / drug effects
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Water

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Monosaccharides
  • Plant Extracts
  • Polysaccharides
  • Water
  • Cyclophosphamide