Polysaccharides from the roots of the marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis L., var. Rhobusta): structural features of an acidic polysaccharide

✍ Scribed by Peter Capek; Jozef Rosík; Alžbeta Kardošova; Rudolf toman

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 698 KB
• Volume: 164
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-6215
• DOI: 10.1016/0008-6215(87)80147-7

✦ Synopsis

An acidic heteropolysaccharide isolated from the mucilage of the roots of the marsh mallow (Althaea officinafis L., var. Rhobusta) via its insoluble barium salt contained D-galactose, L-rhamnose, n-glucuronic acid, and n-galacturonic acid in the molar ratios 1.2: 1 .O: 1 .O: 1 .O. It was homogenous on free-boundary electrophoresis and in the analytical ultracentrifuge, and it had aw = 26,700, Hn = 23,900. Partial acid hydrolysis and analyses of the methylated and the methylated, carboxyl-reduced polysaccharide indicated that the polymer backbone is composed of (l-4)-linked D-galactopyranuronic acid and (1-2)~linked L-rhamnopyranose units in the ratio of 1: 1. Each n-galacturonic unit carries a single P-n-glucopyranuronic residue linked to C-3, and each L-rhamnopyranose unit carries n-galactopyranose residues, mainly as non-reducing terminals linked to C-4. A small number of presumably short chains of (l-4)-linked n-galactopyranose units are also involved in branching.

* Dedicated to the memory of Hermann 0. L. Fischer on the centenary of his birth. 000%621Y87pSO3.50