K. Ingolfsdottir et al., IMMUNOMODULATING POLYSACCHARIDES FROM AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF CETRARIA-ISLANDICA (ICELAND MOSS), Phytomedicine, 5(5), 1998, pp. 333-339
Several polysaccharide fractions, isolated from a hot aqueous extract
of Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach, by ethanol fractionation and ion-excha
nge chromatography, exerted significant in vitro anti-complementary ac
tivity and pronounced enhancement of in vitro granulocytic phagocytosi
s. Prior to aqueous extraction, low molecular weight compounds were re
moved from the plant material by organic extraction. An aqueous extrac
t, prepared by the traditional method of briefly boiling the lichen di
rectly with water, also exhibited significant anti-complementary and e
nhanced phagocytic activity. When tested for reticuloendothelial phago
cytic activity in the in vivo carbon clearance test, the extract gave
rise to a significant increase in the rate of colloidal carbon elimina
tion. Results show, that in addition to an immunostimulating alkali-so
luble galactomannan previously isolated from Iceland moss, the plant a
lso contains water soluble polysaccharides, extractable by traditional
methods, which exert immunomodulating effects.