The control saponin R, was as expected the most hemolytic (HD50 = 35 μg/ml). Furthermore, the safety analysis detected neither lethality nor local pain or swelling ( Table 1) for any of the C. alba vaccines. PI3K inhibitor Only loss of hair at the local of injection was detected in the 5 mice treated

with the QS21 containing saponin R. The increase in hemolytic activities of C. alba saponins was not correlated to the increase in the size of the C-28 attached carbohydrate chain. In contrast, the CA3 and CA3X saponins that both have three sugar units in that chain strongly differed in their hemolytic capabilities. Saponin CA3X which has a xylose terminal unit induced strong hemolysis while saponin CA3 that shows an apiose unit instead was much less hemolytic. In correlation with our findings, the QS21 adjuvant is composed of two isomers that include either apiose (QS21-Api) or xylose (QS21-Xyl) as the terminal sugar residue within the linear buy Sorafenib tetrasaccharide segment, in a ratio of 65:35, respectively [34]. The saponin QS21-Xyl was marginally more toxic than QS21-Api or the QS21 mixture. Overall mice weight loss was greatest in the SQS21-Xyl groups and although one mouse of both groups died over the course of immunizations, the mice

in the QS21-Xyl group showed the worst clinical status. On the other hand, the QS21-Xyl treated mice induced a higher IgM and IgG response [34]. In our investigation we demonstrated that the adjuvant potential

of C. alba saponins Levetiracetam is correlated to the increase of their C-28 attached sugar chain. We also demonstrated that the addition of an extra apiose unit in CA4 saponin is determinant of its enhanced adjuvant potential. Both the CA3 and CA3X saponins have three sugar chains and three exposed hydroxyl groups on the terminal sugar unit, therefore sharing the same HLB. However the spatial configuration and exposition of the HO groups on the apiose terminal sugar unit is optimized when compared to the configuration of the same groups in xylose. This would explain also the reason for the increased adjuvant potential of CA4 which has an additional apiose unit. The CA4 saponin of C. alba in formulation with FML induced a higher response after challenge, significant increases in IgG and IgG2a anti-FML antibodies which were absent in the CA3-saponin. These results confirm the relevance of the addition of a fourth unit of apiose 1 → 3 linked to the rhamnose residue of the C-28 attached sugar chain in the induction of the anti-FML humoral response. As expected for a positive adjuvant control, the global humoral response induced by the saponin QS21 containing saponin R vaccine was the highest. The intensity of the humoral response generated by saponins has been shown to be related to the presence of carbohydrate moieties attached to the triterpene nucleus [14], [17] and [25] and this response increases in direct proportion to their length [22].