Preparation of branched cyclomaltoheptaose with 3-O-α-L-fucopyranosyl-α-D-mannopyranose and changes in fucosylation of HCT116 cells treated with the fucose-modified cyclomaltoheptaose.

From a mixture of 4-nitrophenyl α-L-fucopyranoside and D-mannopyranose, 3-O-α-L-fucopyranosyl-D-mannopyranose was synthesised through the transferring action of α-fucosidase (Sumizyme PHY). 6(I),6(IV)-Di-O-(3-O-α-L-fucopyranosyl-α-D-mannopyranosyl)-cyclomaltoheptaose {8, 6(I),6(IV)-di-O-[α-L-Fuc-(1→3)-α-D-Man]-βCD} was chemically synthesised using the trichloroacetimidate method. The structures were confirmed by MS and NMR spectroscopy. A cell-based assay using the fucosyl βCD derivatives, including the newly synthesised 8, showed that derivatives with two branches of the α-L-Fuc or α-L-Fuc-(1→3)-α-D-Man residues possessed slight growth-promoting effects and lower toxicity in HCT116 cells compared to those with one branch. These compounds may be useful as drug carriers in targeted drug delivery systems.