Polysaccharide branched, degradation

Numerous examples further illustrate the great value of the Smith degradation in determinations of the fine structure of polysaccharides. They include studies on arabinoxylans, mesquite gum, an exocellular yeast mannan, and a type-specific bacterial polysaccharide. Branching patterns in complex types of glycoproteins from several different origins have been elucidated, and detailed structures of gum exudates, seed polysaccharides, and pectic sub-... 

Guar gum is a nonionic, branched-chain polysaccharide, a galactomaiman that is usually hydroxypropylated for use in drilling (52). It produces viscous solutions in fresh or salt water at concentrations of ca 3—6 kg/m (1—2 lb /bbl). It is used in soHds-free and low soflds muds and degrades rapidly above 80°C, limiting its use to shallow wells. 

Incubation of D-[U-I4C]apiose with sterile Lemma minor (duckweed) produced less than 0.01% incorporation into the cell-wall polysaccharides.75 Most of the d-[U-i4C]apiose appeared as 14C02 some remained in solution in the medium and in the duckweed plants, primarily as degradation products of D-[U-14C]apiose, but not as the branched-chain sugar.75 There is an efficient synthesis of the [U-14C]apiose moiety of cell-wall polysaccharides from D-[U-14C]glucose under similar conditions.81 Of the plant tissues tested, only L. minor contained an enzyme system able to metabolize free apiose. Carrot, lettuce, and spinach tissues are unable to metabolize the free, branched-chain sugar.75... 

Disaccharides and polysaccharides are also oxidized by the same degradative oxidation at first they react rapidly then, when the point of branching is reached, they react much more slowly. When subjected to similar oxidations, ascorbic acid affords threonic acid and oxalic acid, and 2-deoxy sugars yield 2-deoxyaldonic acids and lower alditols. 

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