[The sperm-agglutinating activity of the fractions of saline root extracts from Arum maculatum]

Our previous investigations have demonstrated that saline extract of Arum maculatum contains lectin (sperm agglutinin) which agglutinates human ejaculated spermatozoa of the type tail to tail and head to tail. By means of speed liquid chromatography (Mono S XP 5/5) eight fractions (I-VIII) were obtained. The sperm-agglutinating activity of the fractions was investigated against frog testicular spermatozoa and testicular and epididymal spermatozoa of man, rabbit, rat and mouse. The fractions did not agglutinate frog spermatozoa. Fraction I agglutinated rabbit, rat and murine spermatozoa; fraction II-rabbit and rat spermatozoa; fraction VII-only human spermatozoa, and fraction VIII-human, as well as animal spermatozoa. The fractions III, IV, V, VI had no sperm-agglutinating activity. These data could be explained by the assumption that the differences in the sperm-agglutinating activity of the fractions are due to isoforms (called also isolectins) of the phytospermagglutinin, contained in the saline extract of Arum maculatum.