Modified Aloe barbadensis polysaccharide with immunoregulatory activity

Aloe barbadensis polysaccharide was partially digested with cellulase and f urther purified by dialysis, stepwise ethanol precipitation, and size exclu sion chromatography. Crude modified Aloe polysaccharide (MAP) activated mac rophage cells and stimulated fibroblast growth. Under the same conditions, native Aloe barbadensis gel had no effect on macrophage activation. MAP pre vented ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation-induced immune suppression as determ ined by contact hypersensitivity (CHS) response in C3H/HeN mice. This in vi vo activity was correlated with the activity of MAP to inhibit UVB irradiat ion-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) release from human epid ermoid carcinoma cells (KB cells). MAP with an average molecular weight of 80,000 Dalton (Da) contained mannose, galactose, and glucose in a ratio of 40:1.4:1.0. MAP was likely a linear, highly acetylated molecule.