In vitro anti-adhesive activity of an acidic polysaccharide from Panex ginseng on Porphyromonas gingivalis binding to erythrocytes

A polysaccharide with high uronic acid content from the roots of Panax ginseng was found to inhibit the ability of Porphyromonas gingivalis to agglutinate erythrocytes. This polysaccharide showed a strong inhibitory activity (minimum inhibitory concentration 0.25 mg/mL), but treatment with pectinase resulted in non-inhibitory hydrolyzed products. In contrast, the inhibition by the acidic polysaccharide from the leaves of Artemisia capillaris was negligible. The carbohydrate composition of the two polysaccharides indicated that the anti-adhesive activity may be correlated with glucuronic acid content, one of the components of glycosaminoglycans. Low molecular weight heparin and sucrose octasulfate revealed stronger inhibitory effects on bacterial binding, than the acidic polysaccharide from A ginseng.