Purification of the Toxic Fractions from Ascaris lumbricoides and their Effect on the Guinea Pig

Abstract

Shinamura and Fuji¹, Bier² and Rocha e Silva and Graña³ were able to isolate from Ascaris lumbricoides an extract very active in producing an anaphylactic-like shock in guinea pigs and in dogs. On the other hand, Machebouef and Mandoul⁴ showed a similar activity in extracts from Ascaris megalocephala. Nakajima⁵, after heating at 80 °C. an aqueous extract of Ascaris lumbricoides, purified it by alcoholic precipitation, obtaining an active fraction containing N and P. Recently, Högberg et al. ⁶, using ‘Amberlite IRC–50’ (XE–64), obtained a quite active fraction which released histamine from the perfused paw of the cat. The present communication describes the further purification and chemical analysis of the active fractions, and the effect of these fractions on the guinea pig.