Fractionation and characterization of anticomplementary and mitogenic substances from Panax ginseng extract G‐115

Abstract

AbstractPanax ginseng extract G‐115 had anticomplementary and mitogenic activities. Incubation with artificial gastric juice slightly decreased the anticomplementary activity, whereas incubation with artificial intestinal juice or with artificial gastric juice followed by artificial intestinal juice slightly increased the activity. Incubations with artificial gastric and intestinal juices slightly decreased mitogenic activity similar to that with water. The G‐115 was fractionated in order to characterize the active substances for anticomplementary and mitogenic activities. The most potent anticomplementary activity was observed in the crude polysaccharide fraction, G‐115G, whereas the water‐soluble dialysable fraction, G‐115E showed the most potent mitogenic activity. Although pronase digestion did not change the anticomplementary activity of G‐115G, G‐115G decreased the anticomplementary activity after the treatments with periodate and endo‐polygalacturonase indicating that a carbohydrate moiety containing polygalacturonan may contribute to the activity. G‐115G was further purified by precipitation with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, anion‐exchange chromatography on DEAE‐Sepharose and gel filtration on Sepharose CL‐4B, and major potent anticomplementary polysaccharide, G‐115I1‐IIa‐2‐3 was obtained. G‐115I1‐IIa‐2‐3 was homogeneous, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 3.68 × 105. G‐115I1‐IIa‐2‐3 consisted mainly of arabinose, galactose and glucose in addition to small amounts of galacturonic acid, glucuronic acid and rhamnose.