Poly[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric Acid], A New Biologically Active Polymer from Symphytum Asperum Lepech. and S.Caucasicum Bieb. (Boraginaceae)

Abstract: Two high-molecular water-soluble preparations with high anticomplementary, antioxidant, antilipoperoxidant and antiinflammatory activities were isolated from the roots of Symphytum asperum and S. caucasicum. Their main chemical constituent was found to be poly[oxy-1-carboxy-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethylene], according to IR and NMR spectroscopy. The Symphytum high-molecular preparations can modulate in vitro B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) cells apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Keywords: Caffeic acid, 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid, Symphytum asperum, Symphytum asperum caucasicum, poly[oxy-1-carboxy-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethylene]. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Introduction In a previous paper it was shown that the crude polysaccharide preparations from the roots of Symphytum asperum and S. caucasicum (Boraginaceae) displayed strong anticomplementary activity [1]. In order to determine the chemical nature of the active components both total polysaccharide preparations were fractionated by ultrafiltration on membrane filters with cut-off values of 1000 kDa. This