Lignin-carbohydrate complexes: intestinal immune system modulating ingredients in kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine, juzen-taiho-to.

An extract preparation (TJ-48) of a Japanese herbal (Kampo) medicine, Juzen-Taiho-To has been found to show an enhancing activity on proliferation of bone marrow cells mediated by Peyer's patch cells (intestinal immune system modulating activity) (1). When TJ-48 was fractionated by MeOH- and water-extractions, EtOH precipitation and dialysis, water-soluble dialyzable (F-3) and polysaccharide fractions (F-5) both showed a significant intestinal immune system modulating activity in vitro; other fractions had no activity. Oral administration of F-3 (150 mg/kg) also showed the intestinal immune system modulating activity in C3H/HeJ mice. Two active substances were purified by gel filtration from F-3. Chemical analysis indicated that the active substances comprised lignin as well as a carbohydrate consisting mainly of arabinose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid. Activity was significantly reduced not only by NalO4 oxidation but also by NaClO2 treatment. Standard lignin showed no activity. Carbohydrate and lignin in the active substances were co-eluted by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, and the stimulating effect and lignin content of the substances did not change even after the hydrophobic-interaction chromatography. These results suggest that lignin-carbohydrate complexes are involved in intestinal immune system modulation by TJ-48.