%0 Journal Article
%T Polysaccharides with immunomodulating properties from the bark of Parkia biglobosa.
%A Zou YF
%A Zhang BZ
%A Inngjerdingen KT
%A Barsett H
%A Diallo D
%A Michaelsen TE
%A El-Zoubair E
%A Paulsen BS
%J Carbohydr Polym
%V 101
%N 0
%D Jan 2014 30
%M 24299798
%F 10.723
%R 10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.09.082
%X The bark of Parkia biglobosa is used in traditional medicine to cure a wide range of illnesses. Polysaccharides were extracted from the bark with 50% ethanol-water, 50°C and 100°C water, and seven active fractions obtained by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The complement fixation and macrophage stimulating activities of the different fractions were determined. The acidic fractions PBEII-I and PBEII-IV were the most active in the complement fixation assay, but the other fractions were also potent compared to the positive control BPII from Biophytum petersianum. Fractions PBEII-I and PBEII-IV were also the most potent fractions in stimulating macrophages to release nitric oxide. Structural studies showed that PBEII-I and PBEII-IV were pectic type polysaccharides, containing arabinogalactan type II structures. The observed differences in biological activities among the seven purified polysaccharide sub-fractions are probably due to differences in monosaccharide compositions, linkage types and molecular sizes.