Characterization of polysaccharides of red algae by pyrolysis-capillary gas chromatography

Abstract

Pyrolysis-capillary gas chromatography (Py-GC) has been applied to purified agars and carrageenans and to intact algal material. The results show that Py-GC is a rapid and useful technique for characterizing the structural features of the galactan sulfates (i.e., presence of simple, anhydro-, O-methyl and sulfated saccharide units), which are important in determining the commercial properties of algal extracts. Programs of plant material suggest that Py-GC can be useful in aiding taxonomic characterization studies and in monitoring changes in the galactan sulfate structure of marine plants.