ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF PROTEINS AND POLYSACCHARIDES OF CERTAIN CUCURBITACEOUS PLANTS

Polysaccharides of Momordica charantia L., Momordica balsamina L., and Luffa cylindrica L., fruits were extracted and subjected to GLC investigation. The polysaccharides of the three species were similar in their sugar moieties with considerable variation in their percentages. Polysaccharides of M. charantia were the most acidic, they containing 16.00% of galacturonic acid. The crude protein was prepared from the defatted powdered seeds of the three species. Major amino acids of the protein hydrolysates were glutamic acid (42.16% and 25.88%) and glycine (18.56% and 6.51%) in M. charantia and L. cylindrica, respectively, while asparagine dominated in M. balsamina (32.96%). The aqueous extracts, polysaccharides and protiens of the three species displayed remarkable effects in reducing the number of viable Ehrlich Ascites tumor cells, as well as, the DNA, RNA and protein synthesis in the cells.