To obtain the subject agent containing a specific saponin as an active ingredient, capable of suppressing the production of interleukin-6 caused by a stimulation with various physiological materials, and anticipated as a therapeutic agent for chronic rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
This interleukin-6 production suppressing agent contains a saponin of formula I [R1 is H or a sugar residue; R2 is H or hydroxyl; R3 is formula II or III (R5, R6 are independently H, hydroxyl, etc.; R7 is H or hydroxyl; R8 is H or a sugar residue; R9 is H or hydroxyl); R4 is methyl, hydroxymethyl, etc.; in the case of R1 is H and R4 is carboxyl, two molecules are allowed to bind together through and R1 and R4 to form a dimeric ester] as an active ingredient. Gomphrenoside of formula IV (GlcA is glucuronic acid; Rha is rhamnose; Ara is arabinose sugar residue) obtained from the methanol extract of seeds of globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa, L.), is a new compound.
YADA YOSHIHARU
YAMAGUCHI KOJI
YAMAZAKI KAZUO
KASAI RYOJI
OTANI KAZUHIRO
Next Patent: NUCLEOTIDE-CONTAINING PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATION