Abstract
Soluble laminarin from Laminaria saccharina has been examined by methylation and periodate oxidation methods of analysis. An acid hydrolysate of the methylated polysaccharide contained 10% of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl glucose, 65% of 2, 4,6-tri-O-methyl glucose, ca. 1% of 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl glucose, 21% of di-O-methyl glucoses, and 3% of mono-O-methyl glucose. The average chain length is therefore 10, a value confirmed by measurement of the formic acid produced on periodate oxidation, and since the polysaccharide had a degree of polymerisation of 28, clear evidence of a small degree of branching is provided. The absence of a significant amount of 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl glucose shows that the 1,6-glucosidic linkages in laminarin are present as inter-chain linkages and not as inter-residue linkages. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that the reaction sequence: periodate oxidation, borohydride reduction and mild acid hydrolysis (Smith degradation) does not cause fragmentation of soluble laminarin.
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