Low molecular weight carbohydrates in Cyanidium caldarium and some related algae

Abstract

Floridoside (2- O-glycerol-α- d-galactopyranoside) and a small amount of iso-floridoside (1- O-glycerol-α- d- galactopyranoside) were found in Cyanidium caldarium. Floridoside was also found in the red algae Porphyridium cruentum and Porphyra yezoensis, although in the latter iso-floridoside was the main component. Sucrose and glucose were found in the green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus obliquus, and also in a blue-green alga, Anacystis nidulans. Another blue-green alga, Phormidium foveolarum, contains mostly trehalose. From these results and from morphological considerations, it is suggested that Cyanidium caldarium belongs to the primitive Rhodophyta.