POLYSACCHARIDE, ITS PRODUCTION, AND ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENT CONTAINING SAID POLYSACCHARIDE AS ACTIVE INGREDIENT

摘要

PURPOSE:To produce a polysaccharide of an excellent antineoplastic activity, by concentrating a precipitate obtained from an extract obtained by extracting a lumpy tuber produced in an aerial part of a plant belonging to the genus wisteria, family Leguminosae with an aqueous solvent. CONSTITUTION:A lumpy tuber produced in an aerial part of a plant belonging to the genus wisteria, family Leguminosae (e.g., nodafuji) is extracted with an aqueous solvent (e.g., an aqueous solution of NaCl) and then with a weakly acidic aqueous solution (e.g., an aqueous acetic acid solution of a concentration =0.05M). After concentration, the extract is subjected to ultrafiltration or dialysis to remove low-molecular substances. The inside liquor of the ultrafiltration or dialysis is concentrated and then distributed into a phenol-water system. The water layer is separated. The precipitate obtained by adding a hydrophilic solvent to the water layer is purified to obtain an antineoplastic agent comprising a polysaccharide in which the constituent saccharide consists mainly of glucose and which is soluble in water and hardly soluble in methanol, ethanol, acetone, ether, or the like, and has an elementary analysis of C: 39+ or -3%, H: 6+ or -3%, and N: 1+ or -3%, and an MW of 700,000-800,000.