Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) galactomannan fractions on phagocytosis in rat macrophages and on proliferation and IgM secretion in HB4C5 cells.

Effects of fenugreek galactomannans on phagocytosis in rat peritoneal macrophages and on proliferation and immunoglobulin M (IgM) secretion in HB4C5 cells were evaluated. HB4C5 cells are human-human hybridoma cells producing moncolonal antibodies against human lung cancer and are widely used to screen for immunoglobulin production stimulating factor in foods. Galactomannan fractions included cold water-extracted polysaccharide (CWEP), alkali-extracted polysaccharide (AEP) and 2 subfractions. Galactomannans from different sources with structural variations in anomeric configurations, galactose and mannose ratios, and galactose substitution patterns possessed different biological activities.