[P-119]
IMMUNOSTIMULATORY COMPOUNDS ISOLATED FROM HIGHER PLANTS. I. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHEMICAL STUDY OF AN IMMUNOSTIMULATORY POLYSACCHARIDE ISOLATED FROM Ginkgo bilobae folium

Monica Hancianu, Anca Miron, Clara Aprotosoaie and Ursula Stanescu
University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, 6600 Iasi, Universitii str. 16, Romania

Now it is well known, that many macromolecular compounds, as vegetal polysaccharide type develop the important immunostimulatory properties. The crude macromolecular fractions have been isolated out from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba (codified as PGfol). After a partial purification, PGfol has been submitted to a comparative chemical study.

For these macromolecular fraction the chemical analysis consisted of the elementary chemical analysis, the protein subfraction analysis and the polysaccharide subfraction analysis. By elementary chemical analysis the content of C, H, N, O was determined.

The protein subfraction analysis established the total protein and soluble protein content of PGfol.

The polysaccharide subfraction analysis started by an anion exchange column chromatography. For PGfol the neutral polysaccharide components are dextrogire, but the acid components have different optical activities, however, the major acid polysaccharide component is dextrogire.

To determine the number of components contained by the polysaccharide total, we used HP-GPC procedure. Using the HP-GPC procedure, we found out that PGfol (polysaccharide totals from leaves) contain only one macromolecular component. The molecular weight of PGfol component is about 260.000 D.

The purified and lyophilised macromolecular fraction (PGfol) has been submitted to a pharmacodynamic screening, to detect the possible immunostimulatory activities.

References

  1. Fischer B. (1992): Dissertation, Univ.Ludwig-Maximillian, Munchen.
  2. Knaus U. (1989): Dissertation, Univ.Ludwig-Maximillian, Munchen.
  3. Blumenkrantz N. and Asboe G. (1973): Anal. Biochem., 54, 484-489.
[Full paper: NA]
[P-119]