Antivirus and immune enhancement activities of sulfated polysaccharide from Angelica sinensis

This study is to synthesize sulfated Angelica polysaccharides (APSs) and investigate the activity of one of the sulfated derivatives APS-1 on murine leukemia virus in vivo. Six sulfated derivatives with degree of sulfation ranging from 0.68 to 1.91 were obtained. And the virus replication was inhibited by APS-1 at the dose of 10 and 30 mg/kg (26% and 30% inhibition respectively). Furthermore, both the percentage of CD4(+) cells and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in peripheral blood cells were significantly enhanced by APS-1 at 3-30 mg/kg. In addition, the reduced thymus/body weight index by murine leukemia virus infection was increased by ASP-1 in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that APS-1 could not only inhibit virus replication, but also improve the immune function. APS-1 may be a potential new and better antiviral drug.