Wheat Germ Agglutinin-conjugated Praecoxin A의 제작 및 특성

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) pectin, which binds to human melanoma cell line, was conjugated with Praecoxin A using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide as a cross-linking agent. Physical mixture (PM) of WGA and Praecoxin A was also prepared by using a non-specific binding property of Praecoxin A to WGA. The WGA:Praecoxin A ratio in the conjugate and PM was approximately 1:18 and 1:20, respectively. The results of hemagglutination assay and enzyme-linked lectin assay indicated that the conjugate and PM maintained the lectin-like properties of the WGA. The binding ratio of conjugate was about 70% during 4-24 hr, but the most of Praecoxin A was released within 24 hr in the case of PM. These results lead to the conclusion that the conjugate is potentially useful for the formulation of injection that requires targeting for melanoma as well as sustained release at the site.