Search

This study examined the clinical effects of Korean medicine therapy in a patient with hypopharyngeal cancer treated with chemotherapy. A 53-year-old male patient suffering from hypopharyngeal cancer was treated with docetaxel as well as acupuncture and herbal medicine. Tumor size was measured by computed tomography (CT) and adverse events were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) version 5.0. After two months of combined treatment, the size of the tumor mass was reduced at the left side of the neck, posterior to the CCA and at the lymph node in the left retropharyngeal area and medial aspect of the carotid sheath. The adverse events of chemotherapy also improved. This study indicates that Korean medicine therapy, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, may lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and may be effective in the treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of various characterized green tea extracts (GTEs) according to extraction methods on enzymatic starch hydrolysis and intestinal glucose transport. Codigestion of wheat starch with water extract (WGT) or ethanol extract formulated with green tea polysaccharides and flavonols (CATEPLUS) produced 3.4-3.5 times higher resistant starch (RS) than wheat starch only. Its microstructures were changed to spherical shapes and smooth surfaces as shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results. According to Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, the absorption peak of O-H stretching was red-shifted in WGT or CATEPLUS. The results confirmed that hydrogen bonds were formed between starch granules and polysaccharides in WGT or CATEPLUS. Intestinal glucose transport subsequently measured after in vitro digestion was mostly suppressed in CATEPLUS. Gene expression of the glucose transporter protein, particularly SGLT1, was significantly inhibited by addition of CATEPLUS (

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of green tea ethanol extract (GTE) and polysaccharide fractions from green tea (PFGs) on the hydrolysis of wheat starch, microstructural changes, and intestinal transport of glucose. The amount of resistant starch (RS) was significantly lowered in the water-soluble polysaccharide (WSP), water-soluble polysaccharide-pectinase (WSP-P), and water-insoluble polysaccharide-alkali soluble (WISP-Alk-Soluble; p < 0.05). The microstructures of gelatinized wheat starch granules with WSP, WSP-P, and WISP-Alk-Soluble were spherical with small cracks. The amount of intestinal transported glucose from digested wheat starch was 2.12-3.50 times lower than the control group. The results from the current study suggest that water- and alkali-soluble PFGs could be potential ingredients to lower starch hydrolysis as well as to control the postprandial blood glucose level when foods that contain starch are consumed.

The effects of combined administration of red ginseng (RG) extracts and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on immunostimulatory activity and tumor metastasis inhibition were investigated in mice. For the immunostimulatory activity, splenocyte proliferation, natural killer (NK) cell activity, including the production of granzyme B (GrB) and interferon gamma (IFN

Objectives: This study examined the case of a patient with recurrent salivary duct carcinoma and hepatic metastasis.Methods: The patient was treated with Casodex/Nolvadex from January 25th 2021 onward with doses of bicalutamide (150 mg/day) and tamoxifen (10 mg/day) every four weeks. Simultaneously, the patient was treated with Korean medicine. The tumor size was measured using computed tomography (CT). Adverse events were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 5.0.Results: Following the four-month treatment, the extent of the proximal portion of hepatic metastasis decreased, and discomfort and physical activity gradually improved.Conclusions: The results suggest that combined chemotherapy and Korean medicine may help to reduce tumor size and improve quality of life.

Objectives: This study examined the case of a patient with ROS1-positive recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer treated with crizotinib and traditional Korean medicine.Methods: The patient was treated with crizotinib from January 20 2021 to May 22 2021, together with Haedogyangpye-tang and Haengso-tang. The tumor size was measured using computed tomography (CT), and adverse events were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) version 5.0.Results: After four months of combined treatment, the sizes of the lymph nodes in the porta hepatis, hepatoduodenal, retrocrural, aortocaval, and para-aortic areas had decreased, and no lymph nodes larger than 1 cm in diameter were observed. The side effects of chemotherapy also improved.Conclusions: This case study suggests that traditional Korean medicine may alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, improve quality of life, and complement chemotherapy itself.

It has been recently reported that the immune system has been linked to the nervous system. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of administration of two components, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Panax ginseng Meyer (GIN), on the production of IgE and Th1-Th2 dominant cytokines. Antibody and inflammatory mediator levels in serum, and the cytokines secreted to spleen cells of ovalbumin (OVA) immunized mice were analyzed. The group of GABA and GIN mixture significantly reduced IgE level and dramatically increased OVA-IgG2a antibody production. In addition, rising effect on IFN-gamma and GM-CSF levels related to Th1 cytokine was observed only in the group of GABA + GIN. The mixture alleviated allergic symptoms by reducing the level of histamine and prostaglandin. These studies suggest that GIN + GABA administration in the allergen-induced mouse model may regulate the Th1-Th2 balance by strongly acting on the immune response associated with Th1.

The elucidation of the structural characteristics of polysaccharides from natural sources is generally difficult owing to their structural complexity and heterogeneity. In our previous study, an immuno-stimulatory polysaccharide (RGP-AP-I) was isolated from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). The present study aims to elucidate the structural characteristics of RGP-AP-I. Sequential enzyme hydrolysis was performed using four specific glycosylases, and chemical cleavage via β-elimination was carried out to determine the fine structure of RGP-AP-I. The degraded fragments were chemically identified using various chromatographic and spectrometric analyses, including HPLC-UVD, GC–MS, and tandem mass spectrometry. The results indicated that RGP-AP-I comprises a rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) backbone with repeating disaccharide units [→2)-Rhap-(1 → 4)-GalAp-(1→] and three side chains substituted at the C(O)4 position of the rhamnose residue in the backbone. The three side chains were identified as a highly branched α-(1 → 5)-arabinan, a branched β-(1 → 4)-galactan, and an arabino-β-3,6-galactan. Our results represent the first findings regarding the fine structure of the immuno-stimulatory polysaccharide RG-AP-I isolated from red ginseng.

Respiratory immunity is getting more important recently due to outbreak of respiratory diseases and increasing the concentration of fine dust. The aim of this study was to investigate respiratory protection effect of a fermented extract of medicinal plants (FEMP) containing Ramulus mori, Salvia plebeia, and Anthriscus sylvestris. The expression levels of IL-8 and IL-17 in LPS/poly-L-arginine (PLA) and FEMP-cotreated A549 cells were lower than those in LPS/PLA only-treated cells. The levels of IgE, IL-17, and IL-4 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of FEMP-treated mice with ovalbumin/LPS-induced asthma were lower than the control levels. The lung inflammation score and the number of inflammatory cells in the BALF decreased by FEMP treatment. In the citric acid-induced coughing guinea pig, the FEMP treatment decreased the number of coughs. Therefore, FEMP shows anti-asthmatic and antitussive activities without hepatotoxicity and can be used as a compound aiming to improve respiratory health. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-00955-3.

In this study, a turmeric polysaccharide (TP-0) was isolated through hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation to produce a novel active polysaccharide from turmeric other than curcuminoids. TP-0 was found to be primarily composed of eight different monosaccharides, such as galactose (15.9%), galacturonic acid (15.2%), arabinose (11.4%), and rhamnose (9.7%), which are typical rhamnogalacturonan (RG)-I sugars. When stimulated with TP-0, peritoneal macrophages secreted a variety of immunostimulatory cytokines. In addition, intravenous and oral administration of TP-0 significantly enhanced the natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated cytotoxicity against tumor cells. In an assay for lung cancer induced by Colon26-M3.1 carcinoma, prophylactic intravenous and oral administration of TP-0 effectively inhibited lung cancer. These findings reveal that TP-0, a typical RG-I-type polysaccharide that is isolated from turmeric, has potent anti-metastatic activities, and these activities are linked to various immunological factors such as macrophages, NK cells, and CTL. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Many studies related with turmeric have only focused that a curcuminoid of turmeric has beneficial effects on human health system. Nevertheless, in this study, it was confirmed that polysaccharide isolated from turmeric showed potent anti-cancer effects via activities of various immunological factors such as macrophages, NK cells, and CTL. These results suggest the high potential for development value of turmeric as a new candidate for immunostimulating-related health functional food ingredients.

Background Many researchers reported that the various immune activities of red ginseng are due to acid polysaccharides. But, the exact structural characteristics of the acidic polysaccharide in red ginseng have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we isolated the acidic polysaccharide from red ginseng and characterized the structural property of the active moiety of this polysaccharide, which contributes to the immunostimulatory activity of red ginseng. Methods A polysaccharide (RGP-AP-I) was purified from red ginseng via size-exclusion chromatography using Sephadex G-100. Immunostimulatary activity of RGP-AP-I was investigated via anti-complementory and macrophage stimulatory activity. The structure of RGP-AP-I was characterized by HPLC, sugar composition, β-glucosyl Yariv reagent and methylation analysis. Results Peritoneal macrophages stimulated using RGP-AP-I significantly augmented the production of various cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The primary structure of RGP-AP-I was elucidated by assessing its sugar composition and methylation analysis. RGP-AP-I is a 96 kDa acidic polysaccharide, and comprises nine different monosaccharides, which mainly include sugars such as rhamnose (Rha, 9.5%), galacturonic acid (GalA, 18.4%), galactose (Gal, 30.4%), and arabinose (Ara, 35.0%). RGP-AP-I exhibited an considerable reaction with the β–glucosyl Yariv reagent, revealing the presence of arabino-β-3,6-galactan. Methylation analysis indicated that RGP-AP-I comprises 21 different glycosyl linkages, such as 3-, 4-, 6- and 3,6-linked Galp; 5-linked Araf; 2,4-linked Rhap; and 4-linked GalAp, which are characteristics of rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I). Conclusion we assumed that the immunostimulatory activity of RGP-AP-I may be due to the RG-I structure, which comprises a main chain with a repeating linkage unit, [→2)-Rhap-(1→4)-GalAp-(1→] and three groups of side chains such as (1→5)-linked arabinan, (1→4)-linked galactan, and arabino-β-3,6-galactan, which branch at the C(O)4 positions of Rha residues in the main chain of RGP-AP-I.

Determining the structure of REPI, an immunostimulatory polysaccharide fraction from radish leaves, is an important health objective. Herein, we show that REP-I contains nine different monosaccharides, including GalA (22.2%), Gal (32.6%), Ara (27.5%), and Rha (10.2%) as main sugars. REP-I was also reacted with β-glucosyl Yariv reagent (29.8%), suggesting the presence of the arabino-β-3,6-galactan. Furthermore, methylated-product analysis revealed that REP-I contains 13 different glycosyl linkages, including 4-linked GalpA (21.0%), 2,4-linked Rhap (7.0%), 4-linked Galp (5.8%), 5-linked Araf (10.1%), and 3,6-linked Galp (7.9%), which are characteristic of RG-I. Microstructural information was obtained by sequential degradation using four linkage-specific glycosylases and β-elimination, with fragments analyzed on the basis of sugar composition, methylation, and MS/MS spectra. The results show that the immunostimulatory activity of REP-I is possibly due to the structure of RG-I, which is composed of a main chain with repeating [→2)-Rhap-(1 → 4)-GalpA-(1→] linkage units and three side-chains: a branched α(1 → 5)arabinan, a β(1 → 4)galactan, and arabino-β-3,6-galactan, which are branched at the C(O)4 position of each Rha residue in the REP-I main chain.

Soy sauce is a staple fermented food in Korea, however, there are relatively limited studies on soy sauce in Korea compared to that in Japan. In this study, the immuno-stimulating activities are compared in polysaccharides isolated from soy sauce in Korea and Japan. Crude polysaccharides was isolated, and which were named as Korean-style soy sauce (KSS-0) and Japanese-style soy sauce (JSS-0). Then, difference in cytokine production was compared in peritoneal macrophages, and KSS-0 showed higher cytokine production than JSS-0. The KSS-0 was purified into two polysaccharides, which were named as KSS-I and KSS-II. The polysaccharides consisted mainly galacturonic acid, xylose, and galactose. Out of the four polysaccharides isolated, KSS-II enhanced NO and cytokines production the most. Western blot analysis showed that KSS-II phosphorylated the MAPKs and nuclear factor NF-κB in RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that KSS-II activates macrophages via the MAPK and NF-κB pathways, and also induces an increase in the cytokine production. In conclusion, the polysaccharides isolated from Korean soy sauce have better immune-stimulating activities than those from Japan and may be used as potential functional foods.

The hyphae of Cladosporium sp. strain F1 (CFGR 2020-301-00084) were heavily encrusted with pre-synthesized uranium phosphate minerals under a wide range of pH conditions. SEM and TEM images showed that nanorods and nanoplates of uranium phosphate minerals at pH 4 and 5 and at pH 6, 7, and 8, respectively, were tightly adsorbed along the hyphae of Cladosporium sp. strain F1, while only a few uranium phosphate minerals were observed on the hyphae of Aspergillus niger VKMF 1119. Based on the physical mobility and chemical stability of uranium phosphate minerals under in situ oxidizing environmental conditions, the application of Cladosporium sp. strain F1 has potential as a novel strategy for the remediation of uranium contamination in sediments and aquifers under a wide range of pH conditions where larger amounts of phosphate are present in the environment.

We investigated the antimetastatic effects of polysaccharides (RWP) isolated from radish leaves by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation. From the sugar composition analysis, RWP was estimated to be a pectic polysaccharide. Peritoneal macrophages stimulated with RWP significantly augmented the production of various cytokines. In an assay for natural killer (NK) cell activity, both intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration of RWP significantly enhanced NK cells cytotoxicity against YAC-1 lymphoma. In an experiment on lung metastasis of Colon26-M3.1 carcinoma, prophylactic i.v. and oral administration of RWP inhibited metastasis by 77.2% and 55.0%, respectively, at 1000 μg/mouse. Furthermore, pretreatment with anti-asialo GM1 for NK cells depletion partly suppressed the inhibitory effect of RWP on lung metastasis. Thus, our study results suggest that RWP has superior antimetastatic activity, and this effect is related to the activation of various immune factors.

To characterize the immuno-stimulating ingredient from the Korean citrus, Cheongkyool, a crude polysaccharide (CCE-0) was isolated from the pectinase digests of Cheongkyool peels, from which the complex polysaccharide CCE-I was purified to homogeneity by gel filtration. CCE-I highly enhanced the production of IL-6, TNF-α, and NO in RAW 264.7 cell lines. It augmented the mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, CCE-I dose-dependently induced phosphorylation of MAPKs and NF-κB related proteins and led to the nuclear translocation of p65. The effect of CCE-I on NO and IL-6 production was suppressed by treatment with specific antibodies for TLR2, TLR4, and scavenger receptors. Conversely, the primary structure of CCE-I that exhibited potent immunostimulatory activity was characterized by sugar composition, linkage analysis, and oligosaccharide analysis after β-elimination. The results suggested that CCE-I may be a rhamnogalacturonan-I type, highly branched polysaccharide with short arabinan and galactan side chains.

To examine the anti-metastatic activities of polysaccharides in broccoli, purified polysaccharides (BCE-I, -II, and -III) were isolated by fractionation of broccoli enzyme extracts and subsequent ethanol precipitation. BCE-I mainly consisted of galactose and arabinose, whereas BCE-II mainly consisted of galacturonic acid and rhamnose, and BCE-III mainly consisted of rhamnose and galactose. Of the three fractions, stimulation of murine peritoneal macrophages by BCE-I showed the greatest enhancement of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-12, and IL-6 secretion. In addition, intravenous (i.v.) administration of BCE-I enhanced the lethal activity of natural killer (NK) cells on YAC-1 tumor cells significantly and dose-dependently in an ex vivo experiment of NK cell activity. In an experimental model using lung metastasis of Colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells, prophylactic i.v. and oral administration of BCE-I significantly and dose-dependently inhibited lung metastatic activity. Furthermore, the inhibitory activity of BCE-1 on lung metastasis partially disappeared when NK cell function was removed through treatment of rabbit anti-asialo GM1. These results indicated that BCE-I has potent antitumor metastatic activity, and that its anti-metastatic activity has relevance to the stimulation of NK and other immune cells.

Macrophages play a major role in innate immune responses by producing a variety of immune mediators and cytokines. The stimulation of macrophages by natural products may lead to an enhanced innate immune system. This study evaluated the immunostimulatory effects of a polysaccharide-rich crude fraction of Celosia cristata L. flowers (CCP) on murine macrophages. CCP treatment induced the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and cytokines by macrophages. Mechanistically, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, NF-κB and toll-like receptor 4 were found to be associated with the stimulatory functions of CCP. CCP was found to be primarily composed of galacturonic acid and glucose in addition to small amounts of arabinose and galactose. This study demonstrated that CCP may enhance the innate immune responses and potentially improve the immune functions in the body.

Plant-derived polysaccharides possess potential health benefits that improve intestinal health and the immune system. Molokhia leaves have a large amount of mucilage polysaccharide; in the present study, crude polysaccharide extract was prepared from molokhia leaves. The molecular weight of molokhia leaf polysaccharide fraction (MPF) was estimated to be 51.2 × 103 Da. Polysaccharide was methylated and the structure of MPF was mainly composed of rhamnogalacturonan-I structure with side chains, such as galactans and linear glucan (starch), as shown by GC–MS analysis. To study the biofunctional effects of MPF, its prebiotic and intestinal immune-enhancing activities were assayed in vitro. MPF exhibited good prebiotic activity, as shown by its high prebiotic scores, and increased contents of total short-chain fatty acids on five probiotic strains. In addition, MPF showed immune-enhancing activity on Peyer's patches, as revealed by the high bone marrow cell proliferating activity and production of immunoglobulin A and cytokines. These results demonstrate that MPF may be a potential beneficial prebiotic and intestinal immune-enhancer, which may have wide implications in the food industry.

In this study, we prepared palatinose-sucrose (PS) mixtures from sucrose by enzymatic bioconversion to improve the low sweetness of palatinose and to develop sweeteners that can lower blood sugar levels. We hypothesized that PS mixtures containing 30% or 50% palatinose might demonstrate improvement of hyperglycemia. The physiological changes in C57BL/6J mice fed with these concentrations of PS mixture were recorded. After feeding the mice the different diets for 5 weeks, the diet with a higher palatinose content was observed to have resulted in lower serum glucose levels. The expression levels of various genes and proteins related to hepatic lipogenesis and cholesterol homeostasis were measured. The diet containing the 50% PS mixture induced lower expression of HMGCR, CYP7A1, and PPARγ as compared to the diet containing the 30% PS mixture. In conclusion, the ingestion of palatinose resulted in lower lipid levels compared to that of sucrose; therefore, palatinose would be a good alternative to sucrose as a healthy sweetener. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Palatinose (isomaltulose), along with tagatose, allulose, and allose, is a well-known sugar substitute. Many studies have reported that palatinose has various beneficial effects on postprandial glucose metabolism, such as glycemic index, fat accumulation, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia. Although there are many advantages, including desirable biological functions, palatinose has limitations as a complete alternative for sucrose because of higher production costs, lower solubility, and lower sweetness. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the possibility of developing a sucrose substitute by preparing PS mixtures bioconverted using α-glucosyltransferase from sucrose and to promote the industrial application of palatinose. Our results suggest that 50% palatinose syrup may be a new candidate as a sugar substitute for industrial application.

Our previous study showed polysaccharide (GS-P) isolated from the leaves of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer possessed anti-tumor metastatic activity in mouse model. In this study, we evaluated the immunoadjuvant effect of GS-P on the induction of humoral and cellular immune responses against ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. When mice were immunized subcutaneously with OVA admixed with or without GS-P, the OVA + GS-P group showed significantly higher antibody production than the group immunized with OVA alone. This suggests that GS-P has the ability to enhance the adaptive immune response. In addition, the OVA + GS-P + FIA (Freund’s incomplete adjuvant) group induced higher levels of antigen-specific IgG1 and IgG2b antibodies than the OVA + FIA group. The culture supernatant obtained from the splenocytes of mice immunized with OVA + GS-P + FIA showed higher levels of OVA-specific Th1-type (IL-2, IFN-γ, GM-CSF) and Th2-type (IL-10) cytokines. Following in vitro analysis of T cell proliferation, the splenocytes of mice treated with OVA + GS-P + FIA showed significantly more proliferation than those treated with OVA + FIA. Further, the production of IgE antibody was dramatically reduced when OVA + GS-P + FIA was used to immunize mice rather than OVA + FIA or OVA + FCA (Freund’s complete adjuvant). Collectively, these results suggest that GS-P may possess adjuvant activity that potentially enhances humoral as well as cellular immune responses.

Highlights • Corn byproduct polysaccharides (CBP) were isolated from corn steep liquor (CSL). • CBP was further fractionated into polysaccharide fractions (CBP1P and CBP1S). • CBP1S showed the most potent innate immune system-stimulatory activities. • Oral administration of CBP1S could facilitate the anti-metastatic effect. • CBP1S primarily comprises polysaccharide rich in arabinoxylan and glucan., Corn steep liquor (CSL) is a major by-product of the corn steeping process that is utilized in the wet milling industry. To develop new physiologically active polysaccharides from CSL, polysaccharides were isolated and their innate immunostimulatory and anti-metastatic activities were investigated. Corn byproduct polysaccharides (CBP) were preferentially isolated from CSL and further separated into supernatant (CBP1S) and precipitate (CBP1P) fractions. The anti-complementary activity of CBP1S was more potent than CBP1P and CBP. In addition, CBP1S enhanced production of macrophage-stimulating cytokines (e.g., IL-6 and IL-12) and natural killer (NK) cell-activating substances (e.g., granzyme and interferon-γ). Further, CBP1S significantly inhibited lung metastasis at a dose of 1000 μg per mouse in an experimental lung metastasis model. These results suggest that CBP1S seems to promote the inhibition of lung metastasis through a mechanism leading to stimulation of the innate immune system, and CBP1S could be used as immunostimulating agents and for industrial applications.

Galactooligosaccharides have been known to have many health benefits as prebiotic ingredients. In this study, we examined the anti-inflammatory activity of the galactooligosaccharide, NeoGOS-P70 (Korean commercial product), in a dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis model. Next, we performed compositional characterization of NeoGOS-P70, which confirmed that it was a 77.4% high-purity GOS products, including a large amount of 4'-galactosyllactose. Further experiments in DSS-induced colitis model showed that oral administration of NeoGOS-P70 could significantly improve DSS-induced colitis symptoms, such as weight loss, reduction in colon shortening, and suppression of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and myeloperoxidase secretion from colon of ulcerative colitis mice. Histological analysis of mucin expression in colon tissue revealed the protective effects of NeoGOS-P70. These results suggest the potential of the novel GOS, NeoGOS-P70, as an anti-ulcerative colitis agent that could regulate inflammatory responses.

In this study, we investigated the anti-metastatic effect of the pectic polysaccharide HBE-0, extracted from peels of Hallabong, Korea citrus by pectinase digestion and ethanol precipitation. HBE-0 comprises 64.4% neutral sugars and 31.7% uronic acid including 14 types of monosaccharides. IL-6 and IL-12 were secreted in a dose-dependent manner by peritoneal macrophages stimulated with HBE-0. Intravenous administration of HBE-0 significantly augmented the cytolytic activity of NK cells. In lung metastasis assays using Colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells, prophylactically intravenous administration of HBE-0 at a dose of 50 mg/kg showed up to 90% inhibitory effect on lung metastasis. Furthermore, NK cells depletion by anti-asialo-GM1 partially reduced the inhibitory effect of HBE-0 on lung metastasis. Further, oral administration of HBE-0 induced NK cell cytotoxicity and dose-dependently inhibited lung metastasis. These results suggest that HBE-0 isolated from Hallabong peels possesses anti-metastatic activity and supports its potential as a health-functional or pharmacological agent in commercial applications by increasing the high added-value of discarded agricultural byproducts.

Six bacterial strains isolated from various Korean fermented foods were cultured in cellobiose-containing medium to investigate their potential for producing new kind of oligosaccharides. After bacterial culture in a liquid medium, each culture medium was concentrated and analyzed. TLC analysis revealed that only one strain (Bacillus subtilis SS-76) produced new spot on the TLC plate, indicating that it could converts cellobiose into a new oligosaccharide. Following purification of the culture supernatant of B. subtilis SS-76, the fractions containing the oligosaccharide produced were pooled, and the concentrated fraction was analyzed for its chemical and structural characteristics. By using various analytical techniques such as sugar composition analysis, glycosidic linkage analysis, and molecular weight determination, the new oligosaccharide was identified as glucotriose connected with (1 → 4) and (1 → 3) glycosidic linkages. In addition, the result of specific enzyme catalysis suggested that the new glucotriose might contain only β-configurations in their anomeric configurations.

In this study, we purified the polysaccharide fraction (GS-P) from the leaves of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and analyzed its monosaccharide composition and antitumor and antimetastatic activity in vitro and in vivo. GS-P is a 10.2kDa pectic polysaccharide consisting of 15 different monosaccharides. GS-P treatment significantly inhibited metastasis in mice, in a dose-dependent manner. GS-P was not cytotoxic to colon 26-M3.1 cells and increased mouse splenocyte proliferation. Secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-12 was enhanced in the peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEMs) of GS-P-treated mice. Moreover, PEMs obtained from GS-P-treated mice showed significantly higher tumoricidal activity against colon 26-M3.1 cells, and splenocytes from GS-P-treated mice significantly enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity against YAC-1 tumor cells. Pretreatment with anti-asialo GM1 (an antibody for NK cell depletion) partly suppressed the inhibitory effects of GS-P on lung metastasis. These data suggest that GS-P exhibits antimetastatic activity by promoting the activation of macrophages and NK cells.

To investigate the antitumor and antimetastatic polysaccharide from the mature leaves of green tea, GTE-II was purified using size exclusion chromatography. GTE-II consisted of 15 different sugars including rarely observed sugars such as 2-O-methyl-fucose, 2-O-methyl-xylose, apiose, aceric acid, 3-deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonic acid, and 3-deoxy-d-lyxo-2-heptulosaric acid, which were characteristics of pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan-II. Treatment of peritoneal macrophages with GTE-II not only increased interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12 production, but also had significantly increased tumoricidal activity against Yac-1 tumor cells than those obtained from untreated mice. In an assay of natural killer (NK) cell activity, intravenous administration of GTE-II significantly stimulated NK cytotoxicity against Yac-1 tumor cells. Furthermore, the depletion of NK cells by injection of rabbit anti-asialo GM1 serum eliminated the inhibitory effect of GTE-II on B16BL6 melanoma cells. These data suggest that GTE-II inhibits tumor metastasis, and its antitumor effect is associated with activation of macrophages and NK cells.

Ginseng root has been used in traditional oriental medicine for the enhancement of immune system function. The immunostimulatory effects of ginseng berry polysaccharides, however, remain unclear. Effects of polysaccharides from ginseng berry on the activation of natural killer (NK) cells and inhibition of tumors are reported. A crude polysaccharide was isolated from ginseng berry as a ginseng berry polysaccharide portion (GBPP) and was further fractionated using gel filtration chromatography to obtain the three polysaccharide fractions GBPP-I, -II and -III. GBPP-I consisted of mainly galactose (46.9%) and arabinose (27.5%). GBPP-I showed a high dose-dependent anticomplementary activity. Stimulation of murine peritoneal macrophages by GBPP-I showed the greatest enhancement of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-[Formula: see text] production. In addition, an ex vivo assay of natural killer (NK) cell activity showed that oral ([Formula: see text] administration of GBPP-I significantly increased NK cell cytotoxicity in YAC-1 tumor cells and production of granzyme B. Prophylactic intravenous ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] administration of GBPP-I significantly and dose-dependently inhibited lung metastatic activity in B16BL6 melanoma cells. Depletion of NK cells after injection of rabbit anti-asialo GM1 partially abolished the inhibitory effect of GBPP-I on lung metastasis, indicating that NK cells play an important role in anticancer effects. GBPP-I exerts a strong immune-enhancing activity and can prevent cancer metastasis through activation of NK cells and other immune-related cells.