Comparison of the carbohydrate biological response modifiers Krestin, schizophyllan and glucan phosphate by aqueous size exclusion chromatography with in-line argon-ion multi-angle laser light scattering photometry and differential viscometry detectors

A major barrier to the development, preclinical and clinical application of natural carbohydrate biological response modifiers has been the difficulty involved in accurately characterizing carbohydrate polymers with molecular masses ranging from 10⁴ to 10⁷ g/mol. Herein, we employed size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering and differential viscometry to compare and contrast structural properties of the biological response modifiers Krestin, schizophyllan and glucan phosphate. Krestin, schizophyllan and glucan phosphate exhibit significant differences in molecular mass moments, molecular mass distribution, polymer sizes, intrinsic viscosity and perhaps their solution behaviour. This knowledge of precise physicochemical data is required for a better understanding of the properties and higher structure of complex carbohydrate biological response modifiers.