• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1090-1097
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• 2015

Traditionally, mistletoe is known as an effective anti-cancer medicinal plant, and lectin is recognized as a major component with cytotoxic and immuno-stimulant activity in mistletoe. A Korean mistletoe lectin (KML) has specificity to galactose and galactosamine and is distinguish from European mistletoe lectin (EML). When we examined the concentration of lectin in mistletoe originated from five different types of host trees, the result indicate that the lectin concentration is variable depending on the host tree. Noticeably, mistletoe from chestnut tree contains ten folds higher lectins than that of an oak tree. We also tested the concentration of KML and crude extract (KM-110) of Korean mistletoe that shows 90% cytotoxicity in L5178Y-ML25 lymphoma cell. In addition, the cells show 90% and 70% viability by the treatment of two neutralizing antibodies of KML, 9H7-D10 and 8B11-2C5 neutralization effect with two monoclonal antibodies of KML, 9H7-D10 and 8B11-2C5. Therefore, the result expected that the mistletoe contain some other cytotoxic components except lectin. Finally, the production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 by RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with lectin free-crude extract (LFKM-110) following neutralization by 9H7-D10 monoclonal antibody shows higher than that of lectin containing-crude extract (KM-110). These results suggest that the Korean mistletoe lectin ha a great potential to be developed as therapeutic agent of cancer.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 2011

The adjuvant effects of Korean mistletoe lectin-C (KML-C) were investigated following the oral administration of KML-C with ovalbumin (OVA) as an antigen. Mice were orally immunized with OVA alone or admixed with various doses of KML-C or cholera toxin (CT), and the titer of OVA-specific antibody in the serum and mucosal secretions were determined. OVA+KML-C-treated mice showed high titers of IgA specific to CT in mucosal secretions. The antibody titers in the serum of OVA+KML-C-treated mice were comparable to those in the serum of OVA+CT-treated mice. When mice were immunized with OVA+KML-C or with CT alone and subsequently injected with OVA on the footpads after the primary immunization, they showed a more significant increase in delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions than when they were administered CT alone. These results suggest that KML-C is a potent immunoadjuvant that enhances both humoral and cellular immunity by the mucosal immune system.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.246-252
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• 2011

Korean mistletoe Lectin (KML-C) is composed of A and B sub-chain. B chain binds to carbohydrates on cell surface and A chain hinders translation and induces an apoptosis as a RIP (ribosome inactivating protein). KML-C has very strong biological activities, it has seriously limits to use as a cancer therapy or adjuvant because of its toxicity to normal cells. This study is therefore conducted to see if B chain of KML-C might have immunological activity, especially adjuvant activities with less toxicity. We isolated B chain from KML-C using the lactose affinity chromatography, and examined their immunoadjuvant activity. The isolated B-chain did not show any cytotoxicity against tumor cell, RAW264.7, and P388D1 while KML-C had a very strong toxicity. This non-toxic effect was observed also by in-vivo study. Both humoral and cellular immunities were observed ; the antibody titer was increased when the mice were immunized with B-chain used as adjuvant like Freund's adjuvant, indicating that B chain of mistletoe lectin alone might be used for adjuvant; it also increased DTH in cellular immunity. These results suggest that B-chain of KML-C might be used for adjuvant used for the production of antibody or vaccine with less toxicity.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.861-867
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• 2003

Inhibitory effect of the lectins (KML-C) isolated from Korean mistletoe (KM; Viscum album coloratum) on tumor metastases produced by murine tumor cells (B16-BL6 melanoma, colon 26M3.1 carcinoma and L5178Y-ML25 lymphoma cells) was investigated in syngeneic mice. An intravenous (i.v.) administration of KML-C (20-50 ng/mouse) 2 days before tumor inoculation significantly inhibited lung metastases of both B16-BL6 and colon 26-M3.1 cells. The prophylactic effect of 50 ng/mouse of KML-C on lung metastasis was almost the same with that of 100 $\mu$ g/mouse of KM. Treatment with KML-C 1 day after tumor inoculation induced a significant inhibition of not only the experimental lung metastasis induced by B16-BL6 and colon 26M3.1 cells but also the liver and spleen metastasis of L5178Y-ML25 cells. Furthermore, multiple administration of KML-C given at 3 day-intervals after tumor inoculation led to a significant reduction of lung metastasis and suppression of the growth of B16-BL6 melanoma cells in a spontaneous metastasis model. In an assay for natural killer (NK) cell activity. i.v. administration of KML-C (50 ng/mouse) significantly augmented NK cytotoxicity against Yac-1 tumor cells 2 days after KML-C treatment. In addition, treatment with KML-C (50 ng/mouse) induced tumoricidal activity of peritoneal macrophages against B16-BL6 and 3LL cells. These results suggest that KML-C has an immunomodulating activity to enhance the host defense system against tumors, and that its prophylactic and therapeutic effect on tumor metastasis is associated with the activation of NK cells and macrophages.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.959-965
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• 2007

Two isolectins (KML-IIU and the KML-IIL) were individually isolated from the previously reported Korean mistletoe lectin, KML-C, by using an immunoaffinity column. Molecular weights of the KML-IIU and the KML-IIL were 64 kDa and 60 kDa respectively. Both of the lectins were composed of heterogeneous A and B subunits linked with a disulfide bond, and showed the same carbohydrate-binding specificities for Gal and GalNAc. However, they are different not only in biophysical properties (glycosylation and amino acid compositions) but also bioactivities (cell killing and cytokine induction). The KML-IIL showed 17-145 times stronger in cytotoxicities to various human and mouse cancer cell lines than the KML-IIU. The KML-IIL also induced TNF-$\alpha$ secretion from mouse peritoneal macrophages 4.5 times better than the KML-IIU. The results demonstrated isolectins in Korean mistletoe were varied in bioactivities and the KML-IIL may be developed as an anti-cancer agent.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.180-189
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• 2001

We have reported that water-extracted Korean mistletoe (KM-110) had various biological activities such as antitumor and immunomodulatory activity, and the pectin fraction (KML-C) of the extract was one of major factors related to its biological functions. In this paper, we produced murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against KML-C. The cAbs obtained were largely classified into two groups according to specificity to KML-C and ML-I, a pectin from European mistletoe. One group mAbs (9H7-D10 and 3C2-lH4) strongly reacted with KML-C, but not ML-I. In contrast, another group cAbs (8Bll-2C5, BE12-3E9 and 5E10-Fl) reacted with both KML-C and ML-1. The subisotypes of these mobs were shown to be IgGl (9H7-lD10, 3C2-lH4 and 8Bll-2C5) or IgM (8E12-3E9 and 5E10-Fl). To develop an assay system for determination of the amount of KML-C, we established the sandwich ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) method using these mAbs and horse radish peroxidase (HRP)-labelled cAbs. In various combinations of the cAbs for coated antibody and detection antibody, the sandwich ELISA quantitatively detected KML-C, showing the detection limit ranging from 7-5,000 ng/ml. Especially reproducibility (C.V) of the sandwich ELISA, in which 8E12-3E9 was used for coating antibody and 8Bll-2C5-HRP for detection antibody, was 4.59-5.83 in intra assay, and 3.9-9.4 in inter assay.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.213.2-214
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• 2003

Three mistletoe lectins (ML -I, ML -IIU, ML -IIL) have been identified in Europe based on sugar specificities for galactose(Gal) and N-acetyl galactosamine(GalNAc). Korean mistletoe lectins have been known as mainly ML -II type. In previous results, we suggested that there are two lectins, 64 KDa and 60 KDa, in Korean mistletoe lectin (KML -C). (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2006

In the present study toxicity and immunostimulating activity of the lectin(KML-C), which was extracted from Korean mistletoe(Viscum album coloratum) were investigated in swine. To determine the toxicity, lectin was injected into thigh or cervical muscles of 4-week-old piglets(Landrace) and observed clinically and pathologically. For determination of the immnunostimulating activity, lectin($0.7{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight)-adjuvanted vaccine of Aujeszky's disease virus(ADV)(NYJ1-87) which was inactivated by 0.2% formalin was injected into the cervical muscle of antibody-negative piglets in the same age group. Subpopulation of the immune cells and serum neutralizing(SN) antibodies in the piglets were examined after vaccination, and resistance of the piglets against challenge by virulent NYJ1-87 was further examined. The results were also compared with those from piglets injected with aluminum hydroxide [$Al(OH)_3$]-adjuvanted vaccine of inactivated NYJ1-87 and NYJ1-87 vaccine without adjuvant, and the results are as follows. By injection of lectin with $30{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight to the thigh muscle, all of 12 piglets died after signs such as dyspnea, fever, systemic erythema and subcutaneous hemorrhages, and lesions pertaining to poisonous hepatitis and dysfunction of kidney were observed. By injection of lectin with $7{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight to the thigh muscle, all of 12 piglets showed signs such as edema and cutaneous hemorrhage in the injected area, lameness and depression, and lesions pertaining to poisonous hepatitis and dysfunction of kidney were observed. By injection of lectin with 1, 3 and $5{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight to the thigh muscle of each one piglet, signs such as congestion, induration and grayish coloration in the injected area, depression and inappetence were observed in all piglets. Toxic changes were also observed in the liver and kidney of piglets by lectin of 3 and $5{\mu}g$. By injection of lectin with 0.5 and $0.7{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight to the cervical muscle of each 9 piglets, all piglets were clinically normal and there were no significant changes in blood counts and chemistry values. Whereas, epithelial swelling and vacuolation of convoluted tubules were observed from one piglet injected with lectin of $0.7{\mu}g$, and necrosis and fibrosis of muscular fiber were observed in the muscle of one piglet injected with lectin of $0.5{\mu}g$. Only population of sIgM+ B lymphocytes increased among immune cells in all of 15 piglets immunized with lectin($0.7{\mu}g/kg$ of body weight)-adjuvanted vaccine, while compared to those in $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccine and vaccine without adjuvant. No additional stimulation to the immune cells was recognized when lectin was added to $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccine. In piglets immunized with lectin-adjuvanted vaccine, SN titers in reciprocal values for loge were 1.3-4.0 at 1-4 weeks after vaccination, which was similar to those with 1.0-3.3 by vaccine without adjuvant but lower than those with 2.0-5.7 by $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccine. Also, no additional increase in the SN titers was recognized when lectin was added to $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccine. Piglets immunized with lectin-adjuvanted vaccine were resistant to challenge by the virulent NYJ1-87 at 4 weeks after vaccination, and the SN titers reached to 5.0 one week after challenge, which was higher than those with 4.0 by vaccine without adjuvant but somewhat lower than those with 7.7 by $Al(OH)_3$-adjuvanted vaccine.