Synthesis and antitumor activity of arginine-glucosamine conjugate

Using d-glucosamine hydrochloride (GlcNH2·HCl) as starting material, a new amino acid sugar conjugate, arginine-glucosamine (Arg-GlcNH2), was synthesized and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, 13C NMR and element analysis. Its cytotoxicity in vitro was evaluated by MTT assay. The inhibition ratio against human hepatoma cell SMMC-7721 was higher than that of GlcNH2·HCl. This effect was accompanied by a marked increase in the proportion of S cells as analyzed by flow cytometry. In addition, SMMC-7721 cells treated with Arg-GlcNH2 resulted in the induction of apoptosis as assayed qualitatively by agarose gel electrophoresis. The manner of Arg-GlcNH2 cytocidal activity was concluded to be apoptosis.