Specific biological activities of Chinese lacquer polysaccharides

The specific biological activities such as blood coagulant, anti-tumor, ant i-HIV, and anticoagulant activities of a Chinese lacquer polysaccharide, a branched acidic polysaccharide, before and after sulfonation were investiga ted. The lacquer polysaccharide at a concentration of 0.016 mg/ml was found to shorten the coagulation time of bovine plasma more than 1 min by compar ison with that of a blank, 5 min and 25 s, suggesting that the lacquer poly saccharide had a blood coagulant-promoting activity. The linear acidic poly saccharides, sodium hyarulonate and alginate, delayed the coagulation time. The lacquer polysaccharide in the dose of 50 mg/kg by an oral administrati on to rat reduced the half weights of the Sarcoma 180 tumor. After sulfonat ion, sulfonated lacquer polysaccharides showed no anti-tumor activity. Howe ver, it was revealed that sulfonated lacquer polysaccharides had potent ant i-HIV activity represented by the 50% protecting concentration (EC50) aroun d 0.5 mu g/ml and lower blood anticoagulant activity than that of standard dextran sulfonate. These results suggest that the lacquer polysaccharides h ave specific biological activities originated from the acidic branched stru cture and are expected to be a candidate for anti-HIV drugs as naturally oc curring and reproductive resources. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.