H. Kiyohara et al., Lignin-carbohydrate complexes: Intestinal immune system modulating ingredients in Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine, Juzen-Taiho-To, PLANTA MED, 66(1), 2000, pp. 20-24
An extract preparation (TJ-48) of a Japanese herbal (Kampo) medicine, Juzen
-Taiho-To has been found to show an enhancing activity on proliferation of
bone marrow cells mediated by Peyer's patch cells (intestinal immune system
modulating activity) (1). When TJ-48 was fractionated by MeOH- and water-e
xtractions, EtOH precipitation and dialysis, water-soluble dialyzable (F-3)
and polysaccharide fractions (F-5) both showed a significant intestinal im
mune system modulating activity in vitro; other fractions had no activity.
Oral administration of F-3 (150 mg/kg) also showed the intestinal immune sy
stem modulating activity in C3H/HeJ mice. Two active substances were purifi
ed by gel filtration from F-3. Chemical analysis indicated that the active
substances comprised lignin as well as a carbohydrate consisting mainly of
arabinose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid. Activity was significa
ntly reduced not only by NaIO4 oxidation but also by NaClO2 treatment. Stan
dard lignin showed no activity. Carbohydrate and lignin in the active subst
ances were co-eluted by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography on phenyl-Se
pharose, and the stimulating effect and lignin content of the substances di
d not change even after the hydrophobic-interaction chromatography. These r
esults suggest that lignin-carbohydrate complexes are involved in intestina
l immune system modulation by TJ-48.