[#2009-10] Characterization and Antitumor Effect of a Novel Polysaccharide from Maitake (Grifola frondosa), Yuki Masuda et al.

Characterization and Antitumor Effect of a Novel Polysaccharide from Maitake ( Grifola frondosa )

YUKI MASUDA,*^,† AKIHISA MATSUMOTO,^‡ TOSHIHIKO TOIDA,^‡ TADAO OIKAWA,^§KOICHI ITO,^# AND HIROAKI NANBA^†

^†Department of Microbial Chemistry, Kobe Pharmaceutical University,  Japan, ^‡Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan, ^§Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering, Kansai University, Japan, and ^#Science 2 (G12), School of Medical Science, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University,  Australia

 

A novel polysaccharide, MZF, with a molecular mass of 23 kDa was isolated from Maitake ( Grifola frondosa ). Results from methylation and ¹H NMR led to the conclusion that MZF is a heteropolysaccharide consisting of —6)-α-D-Glcp-(1— (36.2%), —3)-α-L-Fucp-(1— (14.5%), —6)-α-D-Manp-(1— (9.4%), —3)-β-D-Glcp-(1— (10.1%), α-D-Manp-(1— (23.2%), and —3,6)-β-D-Glcp-(1— (6.5%). Although MZF did not affect the proliferation of colon-26 cells in vitro, it significantly inhibited tumor growth in BALB/ cA mice inoculated with colon-26 cancer cells. Moreover, MZF significantly induced the proliferation of splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages. The mRNA expression of IL-12p40, IL-2 and IFN-γ were increased significantly in MZF-treated spleen. Furthermore, MZF augmented the percentage of IFN-γ-producing cells in both splenic CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and tumor infiltrating CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and enhanced the cytotoxic activity of NK cells and CTLs. These results indicate that MZF is a novel effective immunomodulator that has antitumor activity associated with induced cell-mediated immunity.