Polysaccharides in fungi. XIV. Anti-inflammatory effect of the polysaccharides from the fruit bodies of several fungi

Abstract

Anti-inflammatory assays on the carrageenin-induced edema and scald-induced hyperalgesia in the hindpaw of rats were studied on polysaccharides obtained from the fruit bodies of various fungi (polysaccharide AC, BC: Tremella fuciformis; ME A, MHA, MCW-A, MCW-N: Auricularia auricula-judae;T-2-HN: Dictyophora indusiata;G-A: Ganoderma japo-nicum). The purified polysaccharides MHA, MCW-A, G-A and T-2-HN exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on carrageenin edema. Among these polysaccharides, T-2-HN (partially O-acetylated a-D-mannan) also showed the marked inhibitory effect on scald hyperalgesia. We have found that T-2-HN has more potent anti-inflammatory activity than phenylbutazone in the above two inflammatory models. Since the purified polysaccharide is free from protein and lipid, it is clear that anti-inflammatory effect arises from the polysaccharide itself. © 1983, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.