Antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of a water-soluble polysaccharide from Lilii Bulbus in mice

Lilii Bulbus is a popular folk medicine in the worldwide and has attracted great attention due to its bioactivity against respiratory system diseases (include lung cancers). This study was the first report providing in vivo evidences of antitumor potential of the bioactive polysaccharide from Lilii Bulbus. One major fraction (LBP-1) was obtained by purifying the crude polysaccharides extracted from Lilii Bulbus. Chemical characterization analysis indicated that LBP-1 was only a glucan, whose average molecular weight was 30.5 kDa. Intraperitoneal administration of LBP-1 at the doses of 50–200 mg/kg significantly inhibited the growth of Lewis lung carcinoma. Moreover, it could also obviously increase macrophage phagocytosis, splenocytes proliferation and cytokine (TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-12) production to participate in the antitumor effects. LBP-1 could act as antitumor agent with immunomodulatory activity.