Preparation of sulfoalkyl derivatives of cellulose and other polysaccharides and assay of their anti-HIV activity

The preparations of highly substituted sulfoethyl- and sulfopropyl-celluloses were attempted by the general etherification method of cellulose, by the method of Isogai and by the method of Kondo, using sodium 2-bromoethyl sulfonate and propanesultone. Sulfopropylations of curdlan and dextran were carried out, and the preparation of 1-sulfopropylcellulose by the radical addition of bisulfite to allylcellulose was also attempted. Treatment of cellulose acetate dissolved in DMSO with powdered NaOH and propanesultone, the method of Kondo, was found to be the best way to prepare a sulfoalkyl derivative of high DS. Sulfoalkyl-celluloses together with sulfopropyl-curdlan and -dextran were assayed for anti-HIV activity by the improved MTT method. Activity was found for sulfopropylcelluloses having DS >1.24, although this activity was inferior to that of a dextran sulfate.