CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEUTRAL AND AN ACIDIC POLYSACCHARIDE HAVING IMMUNOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES FROM THE ROOT OF PEONIA-LACTIFLORA

A neutral and an acidic polysaccharide, called peonan SA and peonan SB , were isolated from the root of Paeonia lactiflora PALLAS. They were homogeneous on electrophoresis and gel chromatography, and their molec ular masses were estimated to be 11.2 x 10(4) and 25.0 x 10(4), respec tively. Peonan SA is composed of L-arabinose: D-galactose: D-glucose i n the molar ratio of 1:1:28, and peonan SR is composed of L-arabinose: D-galactose: D-galacturonic acid in the molar ratio of 4: 3: 2, in ad dition to small amounts of peptide moieties. About forty percent of th e hexuronic acid residues in peonan SB exist as methyl esters. Reducti on of carboxyl groups, methylation analysis, nuclear magnetic resonanc e and periodate oxidation studies indicated that their structural feat ures include mainly 3,4- and 4,6-branched alpha-D-glucan type units (p eonan SA) and principally alpha-1,-5-linked L-arabino-beta-3,6-branche d D-galactan type structural units (peonan SB). Both polysaccharides, especially in peonan SB, showed remarkable reticuloendothelial system- potentiating activity in a carbon clearance test and considerable anti -complementary activity.