ANTITUMOR-ACTIVITY AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PROPERTY OF POLYSACCHARIDES FROMTHE MYCELIUM OF LIQUID CULTURED GRIFOLA-FRONDOSA

A systematic method for the fractionation and purification of antitumo r polysaccharide fractions from the mycelium of liquid-cultured Grifol a frondosa was established. Twenty-three polysaccharide fractions were obtained. FI0-a-alpha, FI0-a-beta, FA-1 and FA-2-b-alpha in water-sol uble fractions showed better antitumor activity against Sarcoma 180/mi ce, FIII-1-a, FIII-1-b, FIII-2-a, FIII-2-b and FIII-2-c in water-insol uble fractions markedly inhibited the growth of Sarcoma 180/mice. In a ddition, administration of each of FI0-a, FIII-1-a, FIII-1-b, FIII-1-c , FIII-2-a, FIII-2-b, FIII-2-c to mice could cause an evident increase in antigenic C3 release from macrophages. These results suggest that active polysaccharide fractions, which were considered to be heterogly can or heteroglycan-protein complexes, can depress or reduce tumor gro wth by activating the immune system as a biological response modifier (BRM).