Specific biological activities of Chinese lacquer polysaccharides

The specific biological activities such as blood coagulant, anti-tumor, anti-HIV, and anticoagulant activities of a Chinese lacquer polysaccharide, a branched acidic polysaccharide, before and after sulfonation were investigated. The lacquer polysaccharide at a concentration of 0.016 mg/ml was found to shorten the coagulation time of bovine plasma more than 1 min by comparison with that of a blank, 5 min and 25 s, suggesting that the lacquer polysaccharide had a blood coagulant-promoting activity. The linear acidic polysaccharides, sodium hyarulonate and alginate, delayed the coagulation time. The lacquer polysaccharide in the dose of 50 mg/kg by an oral administration to rat reduced the half weights of the Sarcoma 180 tumor. After sulfonation, sulfonated lacquer polysaccharides showed no anti-tumor activity. However, it was revealed that sulfonated lacquer polysaccharides had potent anti-HIV activity represented by the 50% protecting concentration (EC50) around 0.5 mu g/ml and lower blood anticoagulant activity than that of standard dextran sulfonate. These results suggest that the lacquer polysaccharides have specific biological activities originated from the acidic branched structure and are expected to be a candidate for anti-HIV drugs as naturally occurring and reproductive resources. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.