C(6)-oxidation followed by C(5)-epimerization of guar gum studied by high field NMR

Biomacromolecules. 2004 Mar-Apr;5(2):537-46. doi: 10.1021/bm034387k.

Abstract

Guar gum, a beta-D-(1-->4)-linked D-mannan with alpha-D-galactopyranosyl units attached as side groups, was treated with alpha-galactosidase, an enzyme that splits off the alpha-D-galactosyl units to obtain a galactomannan with a low galactose content. The galactose-depleted polysaccharide was then selectively oxidized in C(6) position and epimerized using mannuronan C(5)-epimerases, namely AlgE1, AlgE4, AlgE6, and their mixtures, obtaining new pseudo-alginates. In this paper, we report a full high field 1D and 2D NMR study of guar gum as such and of the galactose-depleted, oxidized and epimerized compounds, respectively. From the 1H NMR spectra, the degree of epimerization, the distribution of mannuronic acid (M) and guluronic acid (G) residues and the average G-block length, N(G>1), were obtained. By means of NMR diffusion experiments, it was also shown that no significant degradation of the polysaccharide occurs as a consequence of the epimerization reactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbohydrate Conformation
  • Galactans / chemistry*
  • Mannans / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / methods*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Plant Gums
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Galactans
  • Mannans
  • Plant Gums
  • guar gum