HYPOTRIGLYCERIDEMICALLY ACTIVE POLYSACCHARIDES

摘要

A hypotriglyceridemically active polysaccharide having the following characteristics: (a) Specific rotatory power: [ alpha ]D29=+190.1 (1.8 w/v % solution) (b) Molecular weight by gel filtration: 14,000+/-3,000 (c) Sugar composition (weight percent by gas chromatography) glucose: 70.3 rhamnose: 13.7 uronic acid: 16.0 (d) Acid-base characteristic: neutral polysaccharides (e) Physiological characteristics: capable of reducing the blood triglyceride in mammals. This hypotriglyceridemically active polysaccharide can be prepared by cultivating a microorganism belonging to the genus Streptococcus in an adequate culture medium therefor; and collecting the hypotriglyceridemically active polysaccharide from the cultured cells of the microorganism and/or the supernatant of the culture broth. The present hypotriglyceridemically active polysaccharide can be used as an active ingredient of a hypotriglyceridemic or antiatherosclerotic pharmaceutical composition together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier therefor to form a hypotriglyceridemic or antiatherosclerotic pharmaceutical composition, which is suitable for oral administration to mammals.