Neutral and acidic antitumor polysaccharides extracted from cultured fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa.

Abstract

Water-soluble glucan fractions extracted from the cultured fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa with hot water, and with cold and hot sodium hydroxide containing urea showed potent antitumor activity in mice (Ohno et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull., 32, 1142 (1984)). Each fraction was separated into neutral and acidic glucan fractions on a DEAE-Sephadex A-25 (HCO₃^-) column. Both neutral and acidic fractions showed potent antitumor activity against Sarcoma 180 solid tumor in ICR mice. From the results of methylation analysis and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the neutral fractions contained mainly α-1, 4 and 6-branched β-1, 3 linkages, and the acidic fractions contained mainly β-1, 6-and 6-branched β-1, 3 linkages. The branching ratio was similar in both glucans. By colorimetric analysis, each acidic fraction was found to contain about 2-5% uronic acid. These findings indicated that the cultured fruit bodies of Grifola frondosa contain neutral and acidic antitumor glucans.