Abstract
Xylan, a polysaccharide occurring in nearly all plants, is composed, for the most part, of a chain of anhydro- D -xylose units to which may be attached a single L -arabinose unit, and, at least in some instances, a D -glucuronic acid unit. A weight of evidence indicates that not less than two similar types of xylan polysaccharides occur, one with and one without glycosidically-bound D -glucuronic acid. Xylan has the general properties of insolubility in water, solubility in alkaline solutions, ease of acid hydrolysis, high negative optical rotation, and non-reducing action toward Fehling's solution. It can be placed in three general polysaccharide classes, which are: (1) pentosan, (2) glycan, and (3) hemicellulose. Xylan is classified most frequently as a hemicellulose because it is removed by hemicellulose extraction procedures and is often the principal component of hemicelluloses. Determination of xylan is frequently made by estimation of furfural production. Xylan occurs in practically all land plants and is said to be present in some marine algaens.
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