Maytenus ilicifolia is a medicinal plant used as a tea (infusion) for treatment of stomach ulcers. This tea furnished apolysaccharide after several purification steps, consisting of a freezing-thawing process, Fehling precipitation,ultrafiltration, and dialysis. It consisted of arabinose, galactose, galacturonic acid, 4-
O-methylglucuronic acid, rhamnose,and glucose in a 42:41:6:5:4:2 molar ratio. Methylation analysis, controlled Smith degradation, and NMR spectroscopyindicated that it was a type II arabinogalactan containing a (1
![](/images/entities/rarr.gif)
3)-linked
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-
D-Gal
p main chain, substituted at O-6 by(1
![](/images/entities/rarr.gif)
6)-linked
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-
D-Gal
p chains, which were mainly substituted at O-3 by (1
![](/images/entities/rarr.gif)
5)- and (1
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3)-linked
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-
L-Ara
f chains, andnonreducing end-units of
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-
L-Ara
f and 4-
O-Me-Glc
pA. This polysaccharide significantly inhibited ethanol-induced gastriclesions in rats with an ED
50 of 9.3 mg/kg, suggesting that the arabinogalactan liberated from the infusion has a protectiveanti-ulcer effect.