FRACTIONATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTICOMPLEMENTARY AND MITOGENICSUBSTANCES FROM PANAX-GINSENG EXTRACT G-115

Panax ginseng extract G-115 had anticomplementary and mitogenic activi ties. Incubation with artificial gastric juice slightly decreased the anticomplementary activity, whereas incubation with artificial intesti nal juice or with artificial gastric juice followed by artificial inte stinal juice slightly increased the activity. Incubations with artific ial gastric and intestinal juices slightly decreased mitogenic activit y similar to that with water. The G-115 was fractionated in order to c haracterize 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 activ ity of G-115G, G-115G decreased the anticomplementary activity after t he treatments with periodate and endo-polygalacturonase indicating tha t a carbohydrate moiety containing polygalacturonan may contribute to the activity. G-115G was further purified by precipitation with cetylt rimethylammonium bromide, anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephar ose and gel filtration on Sepharose CL-4B, and major potent anticomple mentary polysaccharide, G-115I(1)-IIa-2-3 was obtained. G-115I(1)-IIa- 2-3 was homogeneous, and its molecular weight was estimated to be 3.68 X 10(5). G-115I(1)-IIa-2-3 consisted mainly of arabinose, galactose a nd glucose in addition to small amounts of galacturonic acid, glucuron ic acid and rhamnose.