Ultrasonic depolymerization of the chitin-glucan complex from Aspergillus niger and antimutagenic activity of its product.

Sonication was effective for the depolymerization of carboxymethylated chitin-glucan complex (CM-CG) isolated from the cell wall of Aspergillus niger. After 10 min of sonication and subsequent gel filtration, two samples (CM-CG(I) and CM CG(II)) with significantly distinct molecular weights (660 kDa and 19 kDa, respectively) and different nitrogen contents (3.02 and 1.69%) were obtained. CM-CG(II) with lower Mw was also effective against cyclophosphamide mutagenicity by oral administration in mice.