Effect of natural polysaccharides and oligosaccharides on the permeability of cell membranes

Glycyrrhizic acid, arabinogalactan, and β-cyclodextrin are capable of forming complexes with various drug compounds significantly enhancing their solubility and bioavailability. To elucidate the mechanism of action of oligo- and polysaccharides, the exchange time of transporting formate ions through the membrane of myeloblastic leukemia cells (K562) was measured by NMR spectroscopy with the addition of paramagnetic ions. It was found that glycyrrhizic acid and arabinogalactan substantially increased the membrane permeability.