Structural features of a sulphated, fucose-containing polysaccharide from the brown seaweed dictyota dichotoma

Abstract

A sulphated heteropolysaccharide (∼15% of the acid-extractable material) isolated from the brown alga Dictyota dichotoma contains residues of D-glucuronic acid, D-galactose, D-mannose, D-xylose, and L-fucose 1. Partial hydrolysis of the polysaccharide with acid gave one neutral and two acidic oligosaccharides. The behaviour towards periodate of the polysaccharide before and after partial hydrolysis, alkali-treatment, and methanolysis has been studied. Evidence is thereby provided that the polysaccharide is partially sulphated and composed of (1→4)-linked residues of D-glucuronic acid, D-galactose, D-mannose, and D-xylose, and (1→2)-linked L-fucose.