In vivo antitumor and immunomodulation activities of different molecular weight lambda-carrageenans from Chondrus ocellatus

• Published in: Pharmacological research Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 47 - 53
• Main Authors: Zhou, Gefei, Sun, YuePing, Xin, Hua, Zhang, Yuna, Li, Zhien, Xu, Zuhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2004
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-tumor; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Carrageenan - chemistry; Carrageenan - pharmacology; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chondrus - chemistry; Chondrus ocellatus; Immunologic Factors - pharmacology; Immunomodulation; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Marine; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microwave degradation; Microwaves; Molecular Weight; Neoplasm Transplantation; Organ Size - drug effects; Rhodophyta; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - drug effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured; λ-Carrageenan; China, People's Rep; Microwave degradation; λ-Carrageenan; Anti-tumor; Immunomodulation; Molecular weight
• ISSN: 1043-6618; 1096-1186
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2003.12.002

λ-Carrageenan is a sulfated galactan isolated from some red algae and have been reported to have many kinds of biological activities. λ-Carrageenan from Chondrus ocellatus, an important economic alga in China and many other parts of the world, was degraded by microwave, and obtained five products that have different molecular weight: 650, 240, 140, 15, 9.3 kDa. Analytical results confirmed that microwave degradation might not change the chemical components and structure of polysaccharides under certain condition. In this study, tumor-inhibiting activities, weight of immune organ, nature killer cells activity, lymphocyte proliferation ratio and pathological slice of spleen and tumor cells from the control group and λ-carrageenan-treated mice of transplanted S180 and H22 tumor were investigated. The results indicated that the five λ-carrageenan samples all showed antitumor and immunomodulation activities in different degree. Molecular weight of polysaccharides had notable effect on the activities. In addition, their antitumor and immunomodulation have some relevance and the five λ-carrageenans probably inhibited tumor by means of activating the immunocompetence of the body. Among all the experiment results, samples with the highest activities are PC4 and PC5 whose molecular weight are 15 and 9.3 kDa.