A water soluble polysaccharide, HB-1, with a molecular weight of 23,930, was isolated from radix Ranunculi ternati. by hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, deproteination，ultrafiltration and gel-filtration column chromatography. Its sugar composition was determined by GLC as Glc, Ara, and Gal in a molar ration of 16.071: 2.722: 1. And the absolute configuration of Glc was identified as D. Smith degradation and methylation reaction showed the proportion of -(1)Glc (A) was about 16%, -(1)Glc(4)- (B) about 62%, (C) about 14%, and -(1)Gal(6)- (D) about 8%. The repetitive unit was likely composed of 3 As, 3 Cs, 13 Bs and 1 D. Together with the average molecular weight, it was predictable that HB-1 consisted of about seven of the repetitive unit. The inhibition activity of HB-1 on human glioma cell line SF188 was also measured, only to find it inactive.
Keywords: Absolute configuration; Anti-tumor activity; Methylation reaction; Polysaccharide; Ranunculus ternatus Thunb; Smith degradation; Ultrafiltration.