Exopolysaccharide
An isolated polysaccharide has the structure [-β(1,3)-D-GalpNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n The polysaccharide may be from a Bifidobacterium strain NCIMB41003. The polysaccharide exhibits immunomodulatory activity.
1. An isolated polysaccharide comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n , wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
2. An isolated polysaccharide from a bacterial strain comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n , wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
3. An isolated polysaccharide from a Bifidobacterium strain comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n , wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
4. An isolated polysaccharide from Bifidobacterium strain NCIMB 41003 comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n , wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
5. A method for treating inflammation in a mammalian subject, the method comprising administering a polysaccharide comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n to the subject, wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
6. A method for treating gastrointestinal inflammation in a mammalian subject, the method comprising administering a polysaccharide comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n to the subject, wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gastrointestinal inflammation is associated with Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, pouchitis, post infection colitis, Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea, Rotavirus, associated diarrhoea or post infective diarrhoea.
8. A method of treating rheumatoid arthritis in a mammalian subject comprising administering a polysaccharide comprising the structure [-β(1,3)-D-Ga1pNAc-β(1,4)-D-Glcp-] n to the subject, wherein the structure is repeated n times to form a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of greater than 100,000 Daltons.
9. A composition comprising a polysaccharide as claimed in claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
10. A foodstuff comprising the polysaccharide of claim 1 .
11. The foodstuff of claim 10 , wherein the foodstuff is selected from the group consisting of a yogurt, a cereal, and a beverage.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polysaccharide is from Bifidobacterium strain NCIMB 41003.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polysaccharide is from Bifidobacterium strain NCIMB 41003.