in vitro polysaccharide extraction from Cipangopaludina cathayensis and its pharmacological potential.

Cipangopaludina cathayensis (mudsnails) is a snail-like animal. This study intends to reveal pharmacological potential of polysaccharide extracted from mudsnails. Crude soluble polysaccharide of mudsnails was extracted using hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation method. The crude polysaccharide was purified successively using Sevag method. Applying Fenton reactions, it was found that antioxidant potential efficiency of polysaccharide extracted from mudsnail was dose-dependent and reached up to 44.29% at 4 mg ml(-1) concentration. Most significantly, polysaccharide extracted from mudsnail could efficiently inhibit lung cancer cell line A-549 proliferation in vitro and over 50% cells were killed on applying 300 mg ml(-1) of polysaccharide after 24 hrs of post treatment. It implies that mudsnail polysaccharide is a potential anti-tumor agent.