Isolation of an arabinogalactan from Endopleura uchi bark decoction and its effect on HeLa cells

Endopleura uchi is a native plant from the Amazon used in popular medicine to treat myomas. A crude polysaccharide (AGb) obtained from E. uchi bark decoction was purified, yielding a type II arabinogalactan (AG) that was characterized by chemical and spectroscopic methods. AG was evaluated for its cytotoxic effects on HeLa cells. AG (5–500 μg/ml) reduced cell viability at 48 and 72 h (approximately 20%) but not in a dose-dependent manner. Cell proliferation was also reduced by AG, with a 25% inhibition (100 μg/ml) at 72 h. The results suggest that the cytotoxicity exhibited by AG does not involve pathways related to the cell cycle.