Immunostimulatory effects of polysaccharides isolated from Makgeolli (traditional Korean rice wine)

Molecules. 2014 Apr 23;19(4):5266-77. doi: 10.3390/molecules19045266.

Abstract

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean rice wine, reported to have various biological functions. In this study, the immunostimulatory activity of a polysaccharide from makgeolli (PSM) was investigated. The polysaccharide fraction was isolated from makgeolli by hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, dialysis, and lyophilization. The major constituents in PSM were neutral sugars (87.3%). PSM was composed of five different sugars, glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose. In normal mice, PSM treatment increased the spleen index (p<0.05) as well as splenocyte proliferation (p<0.05) in combination with concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide. The immunostimulatory activities of PSM were also examined in cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced immunosuppressed mice. Mice treated with PSM exhibited increased splenocyte proliferation (p<0.05), natural killer cell activity, and white blood cell counts (p<0.01) compared with immunosuppressed mice. These results indicate that PSM can enhance immune function in normal mice and CY-induced immunosuppressed mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Concanavalin A / pharmacology
  • Cyclophosphamide / pharmacology
  • Fermentation
  • Immunity, Innate / drug effects*
  • Immunologic Factors / isolation & purification
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / cytology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / drug effects
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Liquid-Liquid Extraction
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Oryza / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / isolation & purification
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / drug effects*
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Wine / analysis*

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
  • Concanavalin A
  • Cyclophosphamide