Studies on the Anti-Tumor Activity of Polysaccharides. I. Isolation of Hemicelluloses from Yakushima-bamboo and Their Growth Inhibitory Activities against Sarcoma-180 Solid Tumor

Abstract

In order to confirm the chemical entities of the anti-tumor substances in the extract of the leaves of a sort of bamboo, Sasa senanensis (FR. et SAV.) REHD, a series of fractionation was carried out on the macromolecular constituents of the extract. Two hemicelluloses were isolated as homogeneous states both in free boundary electrophoresis and ultracentrifugal analysis. One of them was a neutral polysaccharide which was precipitable with alkaline copper solution and consisted of L-arabinose, D-xylose and D-glucose, while the other contained D-galactose in addition to the three sugar components mentioned above and showed weak acidity due to a small amount of uronic acid. Both polysaccharides showed over 90% tumor-inhibitions when injected intraperitoneally into mice bearing Sarcoma-180 solid tumor.