Improvement of the antitumor activity of black currant polysaccharide by an enzymatic treatment.

A polysaccharide-rich substance isolated from black currant, named cassis polysaccharide (CAPS), was partially digested with beta-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae and its immunostimulatory activity was investigated. The in vitro cytokine-inducing effect of CAPS on RAW264 cells was gradually decreased along with lowering of the average MW of CAPS. In vivo, partially digested CAPS with a mean MW of approximately 20,000 showed the most potent antitumor activity against Ehrlich carcinoma in mice.