IMMUNOMODULATORY AND ANTITUMOR ACTIVITIES OF A POLYSACCHARIDE-PEPTIDECOMPLEX FROM A MYCELIAL CULTURE OF TRICHOLOMA SP, A LOCAL EDIBLE MUSHROOM

A polysaccharide-peptide complex (PSPC) with immunomodulatory and anti tumor activities was obtained from a submerged mycelial culture of Tri choloma sp., a local edible mushroom. The polysaccharide-peptide compl ex exhibited a molecular weight of 17 K in gel filtration and a single band after SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was characteriz ed by non-adsorption on both DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and CM-cellulose. It could activate the macrophages, stimulate the proliferation of T-cell s, and inhibit the growth of sarcoma 180 in mice. It possessed more po tent immunomodulatory and antitumor activities than Coriolus versicolo r polysaccharopeptide (PSP) and deserves to be studied as a potential agent for immunomodulation and cancer therapy.