Structural analysis of the gum polysaccharide from anacardium occidentale

Abstract

The gum exudate from Anacardium occidentale contains galactose (61 %), arabinose (14 %), rhamnose (7 %), glucose (8 %) and glucuronic acid (5 %) in addition to small amounts (<2 %) of each of mannose, xylose and 4-0 methylglucuronic acid. Contrary to earlier findings, the main aldobiuronic acid present is 6-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-D-galactose; smaller amounts of the 4-O-methyl analogue are also present. Mild acid hydrolysis showed only two galactobioses, 3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-galactose (major ▪ component) and 6-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-galactose (minor component). Degraded gum A, prepared by controlled acid hydrolysis, contained galactose, glucose, and uronic acid. A Smith-degradation of degraded gum A gave degraded gum B, which contained only galactose. Sequential Smith-degradations of Anacardium occidentale gum, and methylation analyses of the gum and of its degradation products indicated a highly-branched galactan framework consisting of chains of β-(1–3)-linked D-galactose residues branched and interspersed with β-(1–6) linkages. Arabinose is present as end-groups or in short (1–2)-linked chains up to five units long. Glucose, rhamnose, mannose xylose, and uronic acid are all present as end-groups.