Quantitative studies on the polysaccharides in the non-endospermic tissues of the oat plant in relation to growth

Abstract

It has been established by studying total hemicelluloses that the hemicellulosic composition of root, coleoptile, leaf and stem tissues of laboratory-grown and of field-grown oat plants, Avena sativa (var. Blenda), depends on tissue maturity. Studies on the composition of the α-celluloses and of the total hemicelluloses from tissues of different maturity confirm that statements made on total hemicellulose composition do not require re-evaluation to take account of non-glucosidic residues remaining in the α-celluloses. A reliable and accurate quantitative method for estimating neutral sugar residues in polysaccharides has been developed.