Ultrasonication:: the way to achieve antimutagenic effect of carboxymethyl-chitin-glucan by oral administration

Carboxymethyl-chitin-glucan (CMCG) isolated from Aspergillus niger was ultrasonicated to decrease its molecular weight. Ultrasonicated CMCG with molecular weight 0.19 x 10(-5) was administered either intraperitoneally or orally prior to cyclophosphamide (CP) injection and its effect on the frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes of mouse bone marrow was evaluated. Both ways of CMCG administration significantly decreased the clastogenic effect of CP. The protective effect of CMCG was concentration dependent, with a higher decrease achieved by 200 mg/kg than by 100 mg/kg b.wt. Ultrasonic depolymerization of high molecular CMCG resulted in its anticlastogenic effect against CP not only on intraperitoneal, but also on oral administration, achieved by decreasing its molecular weight. Ultrasonication proved to be an efficient way to obtain molecules of CMCG able to pass through the cell walls of the gastrointestinal tract. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.