Isolation and anticoagulant properties of a new sulfated xylan: comparison with heparin and a sodium pentosan polysulfate (SP-54).

Larchwood xylan was purified by diaminoethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose chromatography, sulfated by heating with chlorosulfonic acid -pyridine complex and the sulfated polysaccharide was isolated by epichlorohydrin triethanolamine (ECTEOLA) cellulose chromatography as the sodium salt. It's molecular weight was approximately 25000 and the specific rotation was [alpha]D 20-70 degrees. Electrophoretic analysis of the sulfated xylan along with heparin and SP-54 using lithium acetate-agarose technique showed that the charge density of the xylan sulfate was similar to heparin and it moved as a single component in contrast to commercial heparin which resolved into two while SP-54 moved at the same rate as the marker dye. Anticoagulant properties of the sulfated xylan were compared with heparin and SP-54 by studying its effect on the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and the thrombin time (TT) using pooled normal human plasma. The sulfated xylan was more effective than SP-54 in delaying coagulation by all the three measurements while it was less active than heparin in inhibiting APTT and PT.