Depolymerization Of Polysaccharides Research Articles

Ionic liquids as formaldehyde-free wood adhesives

Several ionic liquids promote depolymerization of wood components, i.e., polysaccharides and lignin, into low molecular weight compounds, some of which further re-polymerize into resin-like compounds. In this study, the depolymerization/re-polymerization of wood components in ionic liquids was applied to preparation of plywoods from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) veneers by employing ionic liquids as adhesives. The adhesive solution was prepared by mixing an ionic liquid (pyridine hydrochloride ([Py][Cl]), imidazole hydrochloride ([IM][Cl]), or 1-ethylpyridinium chloride ([EtPy][Cl])) with water and d-glucose in various weight ratios. Tensile shear test of the three-ply plywoods prepared from the veneers and the adhesive solution through hot-pressing indicated that the plywood bonded with the [IM][Cl]-based solution ([IM][Cl]/water/glucose ratio: 9/3/2) exhibited the highest strength. Scanning electron microscope observation on the plywoods suggested that the ionic liquids softened the cell walls of the probably plywood through the depolymerization/re-polymerization reactions and the cell walls were compressed during the hot-pressing process. Entwining of the compressed cell walls and van der Waals force enhanced by the compression were considered to be origins of the adhesion of the veneers.

Carbohydrate stabilization extends the kinetic limits of chemical polysaccharide depolymerization.

Polysaccharide depolymerization is an essential step for valorizing lignocellulosic biomass. In inexpensive systems such as pure water or dilute acid mixtures, carbohydrate monomer degradation rates exceed hemicellulose-and especially cellulose-depolymerization rates at most easily accessible temperatures, limiting sugar yields. Here, we use a reversible stabilization of xylose and glucose by acetal formation with formaldehyde to alter this kinetic paradigm, preventing sugar dehydration to furans and their subsequent degradation. During a harsh organosolv pretreatment in the presence of formaldehyde, over 90% of xylan in beech wood was recovered as diformylxylose (compared to 16% xylose recovery without formaldehyde). The subsequent depolymerization of cellulose led to carbohydrate yields over 70% and a final concentration of ~5 wt%, whereas the same conditions without formaldehyde gave a yield of 28%. This stabilization strategy pushes back the longstanding kinetic limits of polysaccharide depolymerization and enables the recovery of biomass-derived carbohydrates in high yields and concentrations.

Structural basis of exo-β-mannanase activity in the GH2 family

The classical microbial strategy for depolymerization of β-mannan polysaccharides involves the synergistic action of at least two enzymes, endo-1,4-β-mannanases and β-mannosidases. In this work, we describe the first exo-β-mannanase from the GH2 family, isolated from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (XacMan2A), which can efficiently hydrolyze both manno-oligosaccharides and β-mannan into mannose. It represents a valuable process simplification in the microbial carbon uptake that could be of potential industrial interest. Biochemical assays revealed a progressive increase in the hydrolysis rates from mannobiose to mannohexaose, which distinguishes XacMan2A from the known GH2 β-mannosidases. Crystallographic analysis indicates that the active-site topology of XacMan2A underwent profound structural changes at the positive-subsite region, by the removal of the physical barrier canonically observed in GH2 β-mannosidases, generating a more open and accessible active site with additional productive positive subsites. Besides that, XacMan2A contains two residue substitutions in relation to typical GH2 β-mannosidases, Gly439 and Gly556, which alter the active site volume and are essential to its mode of action. Interestingly, the only other mechanistically characterized mannose-releasing exo-β-mannanase so far is from the GH5 family, and its mode of action was attributed to the emergence of a blocking loop at the negative-subsite region of a cleft-like active site, whereas in XacMan2A, the same activity can be explained by the removal of steric barriers at the positive-subsite region in an originally pocket-like active site. Therefore, the GH2 exo-β-mannanase represents a distinct molecular route to this rare activity, expanding our knowledge about functional convergence mechanisms in carbohydrate-active enzymes.

Discovery and characterization of a thermostable two-domain GH6 endoglucanase from a compost metagenome.

Enzymatic depolymerization of recalcitrant polysaccharides plays a key role in accessing the renewable energy stored within lignocellulosic biomass, and natural biodiversities may be explored to discover microbial enzymes that have evolved to conquer this task in various environments. Here, a metagenome from a thermophilic microbial community was mined to yield a novel, thermostable cellulase, named mgCel6A, with activity on an industrial cellulosic substrate (sulfite-pulped Norway spruce) and a glucomannanase side activity. The enzyme consists of a glycoside hydrolase family 6 catalytic domain (GH6) and a family 2 carbohydrate binding module (CBM2) that are connected by a linker rich in prolines and threonines. MgCel6A exhibited maximum activity at 85°C and pH 5.0 on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), but in prolonged incubations with the industrial substrate, the highest yields were obtained at 60°C, pH 6.0. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated a Tm(app) of 76°C. Both functional data and the crystal structure, solved at 1.88 Å resolution, indicate that mgCel6A is an endoglucanase. Comparative studies with a truncated variant of the enzyme showed that the CBM increases substrate binding, while not affecting thermal stability. Importantly, at higher substrate concentrations the full-length enzyme was outperformed by the catalytic domain alone, underpinning previous suggestions that CBMs may be less useful in high-consistency bioprocessing.

Mechanical deconstruction of corn stover as an entry process to facilitate the microwave-assisted production of ethyl levulinate

In this study, ball milling was applied as a pretreatment to promote the production of ethyl levulinate (EL) from corn stover under microwave irradiation. The experiments showed mechanical grinding significantly increased the EL yields by 31.23 and 23.31% at 160 and 170 °C, respectively. To further understand the influence of ultrafine grinding on alcoholysis process, we have presented a series of physicochemical and morphological analysis for the ball milled corn stover. The characterization indicated that ball milling sharply reduced the particle size to cellular scale and the intact, smooth surface changed to an open, porous structure during ball milling. It also resulted in the disruption of crystalline cellulose to amorphous state and the depolymerization of polysaccharides with an increase in reducing-ends. In general, mechanical processing approach could efficiently modify the corn stover and facilitate the EL production in the following three ways: firstly, the reduction in particle size with increased surface increased the reaction accessibility of cellulose; secondly, the destruction of compact cellulose crystal structure conduced to the reduction of alcoholysis energy barrier; moreover, the depolymerized polysaccharides resulted in the increase of the reaction sites, which further improved the reaction activity and promote EL conversion. The mechanical processing approach could well hold the key to a better use of the mechanical forces in the alcohol reaction system, providing an environment-friendly method into lignocellulosic biorefinery schemes.

Molecular mechanism of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases.

The lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper metalloenzymes that can enhance polysaccharide depolymerization through an oxidative mechanism and hence boost generation of biofuel from e.g. cellulose. By employing density functional theory in a combination of quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM), we report a complete description of the molecular mechanism of LPMOs. The QM/MM scheme allows us to describe all reaction steps with a detailed protein environment and we show that this is necessary. Several active species capable of abstracting a hydrogen from the substrate have been proposed previously and starting from recent crystallographic work on a substrate-LPMO complex, we investigate previously suggested paths as well as new ones. We describe the generation of the reactive intermediates, the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the polysaccharide substrate, as well as the final recombination step in which OH is transferred back to the substrate. We show that a superoxo [CuO2]+ complex can be protonated by a nearby histidine residue (suggested by recent mutagenesis studies and crystallographic work) and, provided an electron source is available, leads to formation of an oxyl-complex after cleavage of the O-O bond and dissociation of water. The oxyl complex either reacts with the substrate or is further protonated to a hydroxyl complex. Both the oxyl and hydroxyl complexes are also readily generated from a reaction with H2O2, which was recently suggested to be the true co-substrate, rather than O2. The C-H abstraction by the oxyl and hydroxy complexes is overall favorable with activation barriers of 69 and 94 kJ mol-1, compared to the much higher barrier (156 kJ mol-1) obtained for the copper-superoxo species. We obtain good structural agreement for intermediates for which structural data are available and the estimated reaction energies agree with experimental rate constants. Thus, our suggested mechanism is the most complete to date and concur with available experimental evidence.

Ripening-induced chemical modifications of papaya pectin inhibit cancer cell proliferation

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a fleshy fruit with a rapid pulp softening during ripening. Ripening events are accompanied by gradual depolymerization of pectic polysaccharides, including homogalacturonans, rhamnogalacturonans, arabinogalactans, and their modified forms. During intermediate phases of papaya ripening, partial depolymerization of pectin to small size with decreased branching had enhanced pectin anti-cancer properties. These properties were lost with continued decomposition at later phases of ripening. Pectin extracted from intermediate phases of papaya ripening markedly decreased cell viability, induced necroptosis, and delayed culture wound closing in three types of immortalized cancer cell lines. The possible explanation for these observations is that papaya pectins extracted from the third day after harvesting have disrupted interaction between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix proteins, enhancing cell detachment and promoting apoptosis/necroptosis. The anticancer activity of papaya pectin is dependent on the presence and the branch of arabinogalactan type II (AGII) structure. These are first reports of AGII in papaya pulp and the first reports of an in vitro biological activity of papaya pectins that were modified by natural action of ripening-induced pectinolytic enzymes. Identification of the specific pectin branching structures presents a biological route to enhancing anti-cancer properties in papaya and other climacteric fruits.

Ozone treatment of polysaccharides from Arthrocnemum indicum: Physico-chemical characterization and antiproliferative activity

The isolation, purification and ozone depolymerization of polysaccharides from Arthrocnemum indicum as well as the evaluation of their antiproliferative capacities were investigated. The ozone treatment for various reaction times (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60min) was employed as degradation method in order to attain lower molecular weight product with stronger antiproliferative property. According to FTIR, 1H NMR and UV-vis analysis, the main chain of ozonolytic degraded polysaccharides could be preserved. The monosaccharide composition, which was determined via GC/MS analysis, showed that extracted polysaccharides were of type of arabinan-rich pectic polysaccharides. Macromolecular characteristics as well as intrinsic viscosity of the degraded polysaccharides were performed by size exclusion chromatography before and after ozone treatment. These experiments showed that intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight (Mn and Mw) of degraded samples decreased with increase in reaction time. Furthermore, preliminary antiproliferative tests indicated that degraded polysaccharide for 1h showed even better antiproliferative capacity.

Targeting the reactive intermediate in polysaccharide monooxygenases

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper metalloenzymes that can enhance polysaccharide depolymerization through an oxidative mechanism, making them interesting for the production of biofuel from cellulose. However, the details of this activation are unknown; in particular, the nature of the intermediate that attacks the glycoside C–H bond in the polysaccharide is not known, and a number of different species have been suggested. The homolytic bond-dissociation energy (BDE) has often been used as a descriptor for the bond-activation power, especially for inorganic model complexes. We have employed quantum-chemical cluster calculations to estimate the BDE for a number of possible LPMO intermediates to bridge the gap between model complexes and the actual LPMO active site. The calculated BDEs suggest that the reactive intermediate is either a Cu(II)–oxyl, a Cu(III)–oxyl, or a Cu(III)–hydroxide, which indicate that O–O bond breaking occurs before the C–H activation step.

Polysaccharide depolymerization from TEMPO-catalysis: Effect of TEMPO concentration

Polysaccharide TEMPO-oxidation was monitored using automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerization reactions (ACOMP). The products of oxidation, obtained at different pHs (9, 7 and 5) and different concentrations of catalyst TEMPO, were evaluated by Automatic Continuous Mixing (ACM) and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). The degree of oxidation was higher at pH 9 and polysaccharide degradation was observed under different pH conditions, but was much higher without catalyst TEMPO. The rate constant (k) was dependent on reaction pH and TEMPO concentration. The amount of −COOH per g of polysaccharide, at pH 9, in the presence and absence of TEMPO was different, 0.215 and 0.395mmolg−1, respectively. This suggested a secondary and non-selective polysaccharide oxidation occurring at a lower rate in the absence of catalyst. TEMPO protects the polysaccharide from degradation caused by secondary oxidant species, acting as a catalyst and “sacrificial molecule” at higher concentrations.

Multiscale Modelling of Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) enzymes have attracted considerable attention owing to their ability to enhance polysaccharide depolymerization, making them interesting with respect to production of biofuel from cellulose. LPMOs are metalloenzymes that contain a mononuclear copper active site, capable of activating dioxygen. However, many details of this activation are unclear. Some aspects of the mechanism have previously been investigated from a computational angle. Yet, either these studies have employed only molecular mechanics (MM), which are inaccurate for metal active sites, or they have described only the active site with quantum mechanics (QM) and neglected the effect of the protein. Here, we employ hybrid QM and MM (QM/MM) methods to investigate the first steps of the LPMO mechanism, which is reduction of CuII to CuI and the formation of a CuII–superoxide complex. In the latter complex, the superoxide can bind either in an equatorial or an axial position. For both steps, we obtain structures that are markedly different from previous suggestions, based on small QM-cluster calculations. Our calculations show that the equatorial isomer of the superoxide complex is over 60 kJ/mol more stable than the axial isomer because it is stabilized by interactions with a second-coordination-sphere glutamine residue, suggesting a possible role for this residue. The coordination of superoxide in this manner agrees with recent experimental suggestions.

Sulfated glycosaminoglycan-derived oligosaccharides produced from chicken connective tissue promote iron uptake in a human intestinal Caco-2 cell line.

Food grade sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) polysaccharides were successfully extracted from chicken cartilage and skin. Their respective oligosaccharides were obtained by bovine testicular hyaluronidase digestion. The antioxidant capacity was analyzed to determine the possible mechanism explaining how GAGs promote iron uptake by the Caco-2 cells. The sulfated GAG oligosaccharides derived from cartilage possessed the greatest DPPH scavenging and ferric reducing activities (p<0.05), but limited ferrous chelating activities. Both the cartilage and skin sulfated GAG polysaccharides showed greater ferritin formation compared to the negative control (p<0.05). Depolymerisation of GAG polysaccharides to oligosaccharides further improved ferritin formation by twofold. This research establishes that chicken sulfated GAG polysaccharides can enhance iron uptake by Caco-2 cells. The enhanced iron uptake through enzymatic GAG depolymerisation could be due to the combined effects of reduced molecular weight, increased amount of hydroxyl terminal groups and ferric reducing activities.

Effective production of fermentable sugars from brown macroalgae biomass.

Brown macroalgae are renewable and sustainable biomass resources for the production of biofuels and chemicals, owing to their high levels of carbohydrates and low levels of lignin. To increase the biological usage of brown macroalgae, it is necessary to depolymerize the polysaccharides that generate macroalgal monomeric sugars or sugar derivatives and to convert them into fermentable sugars for the production of biofuels and chemicals. In this review, we discuss the chemical and enzymatic saccharification of the major carbohydrates found in brown macroalgae and the use of the resulting constituents in the production of biofuels and chemicals, as well as high-value health-benefiting functional oligosaccharides and sugars. We also discuss recently reported experimental results, novel enzymes, and technological breakthroughs that are related to polysaccharide depolymerization, fermentable sugar production, and the biological conversion of non-favorable sugars for fermentation using industrial microorganisms. This review provides a comprehensive perspective of the efficient utilization of brown macroalgae as renewable resources for the production of biofuels and chemicals.

An efficient pretreatment for the selectively hydrothermal conversion of corncob into furfural: The combined mixed ball milling and ultrasonic pretreatments

A mixed ball milling of corncob and the solid acid catalyst (SO42−/SiO2-Al2O3/La3+) followed by the ultrasonic pretreatment has been developed for the selectively catalytic hydrothermal conversion of corncob into furfural. Results showed that the combined mixed ball milling and ultrasonic pretreatment (MU) was an efficient mechanocatalytical approach to destroy the complex structure of corncob, and most of the hemicelluloses could be released from the corncob cell wall during the subsequent hydrothermal reaction. In comparison with the ultrasonic pretreatment, ball milling played a more important role in the deconstruction of corncob and the depolymerization of polysaccharides. The existence of the solid acid catalysts (SO42−/SiO2-Al2O3/La3+) during the ball milling and ultrasonic pretreatments had the significant influences on the successful conversion of corncob into furfural due to the solid–solid reaction of the solid acids and the dewaxed corncob during the pretreatment process, which was in favor of the furfural production. A highest furfural yield of 197.76mg/g could be obtained at 190°C for 30min from the MU-pretreated corncob.

Localizing gene regulation reveals a staggered wood decay mechanism for the brown rot fungus Postia placenta

Wood-degrading brown rot fungi are essential recyclers of plant biomass in forest ecosystems. Their efficient cellulolytic systems, which have potential biotechnological applications, apparently depend on a combination of two mechanisms: lignocellulose oxidation (LOX) by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and polysaccharide hydrolysis by a limited set of glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Given that ROS are strongly oxidizing and nonselective, these two steps are likely segregated. A common hypothesis has been that brown rot fungi use a concentration gradient of chelated metal ions to confine ROS generation inside wood cell walls before enzymes can infiltrate. We examined an alternative: that LOX components involved in ROS production are differentially expressed by brown rot fungi ahead of GH components. We used spatial mapping to resolve a temporal sequence in Postia placenta, sectioning thin wood wafers colonized directionally. Among sections, we measured gene expression by whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) and assayed relevant enzyme activities. We found a marked pattern of LOX up-regulation in a narrow (5-mm, 48-h) zone at the hyphal front, which included many genes likely involved in ROS generation. Up-regulation of GH5 endoglucanases and many other GHs clearly occurred later, behind the hyphal front, with the notable exceptions of two likely expansins and a GH28 pectinase. Our results support a staggered mechanism for brown rot that is controlled by differential expression rather than microenvironmental gradients. This mechanism likely results in an oxidative pretreatment of lignocellulose, possibly facilitated by expansin- and pectinase-assisted cell wall swelling, before cellulases and hemicellulases are deployed for polysaccharide depolymerization.

Hydroxyl radical is involved in cell wall disassembly and aril breakdown in mulberry fruit during storage

The effect on hydroxyl radical (OH) on cellular wall disassembly and aril breakdown in mulberry fruit was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro experiment showed OH induced total sugar and uronic acid released from the cell wall material of mulberries in a dose-dependent manner. Then the harvested mulberries were treated with 5mM OH to find out its effect in vivo. The results suggested that the application of exogenous OH induced degradation of cellular wall polysaccharides, especially water soluble pectin (WSP) and hemicellulose, which was associated with the higher incidence of aril breakdown in OH-treated mulberries. Meanwhile, the results of gel permeation chromatography analysis further demonstrated that OH enhanced depolymerization and structural modifications of polysaccharides of mulberries during storage as experienced by the downshift in molecular mass of WSP and hemicellulose fractions. These results indicated that as a consequence of the enhanced degradation of cell wall polysaccharides, OH could increase the incidence of aril breakdown in harvested mulberry fruit during storage.

CHARACTERIZATION OF TEMPORAL BIODEGRADATION OF RADIATA PINE BY GLOEOPHYLLUM TRABEUM THROUGH PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS-BASED TWO-DIMENSIONAL CORRELATION FTIR SPECTROSCOPY

Brown rot fungi produce a special pattern of wood decay. In the first stages of biodegradation, fast depolymerisation of holocellulose causes a rapid loss of wood strength while lignin is not substantially depolymerized. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is a powerful tool for examining changes in wood chemistry. FTIR is an accurate, non-destructive technique, which usually requires a minimum of sample preparation and sample size. Principal component analysis-based two-dimensional (PCA2D) correlation spectroscopy of a spectral data set was applied to assess temporal brown-rot wood decay. Pinus radiata with soil support was degraded by brown rot fungi Gloeophyllum trabeum for a period of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks simulating the natural process of biodegradation. Decayed samples were monitored and analyzed periodically by FTIR. Most of the autopeaks had contributions from lignin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses. The main effect observed by PCA2D correlation was the significant decrease in the intensities of bands predominantly in the region of 2000-1000 cm -1 , associated with polysaccharides in the biodegraded wood. An increase in the intensities of bands at 1698 and 1664 cm -1 associated with the oxidation of wood components, mostly lignin, was also observed. Detailed analysis of asynchronous map showed that the wood oxidation began after the depolymerisation of polysaccharides. Figure 1. Reconstructed data of the FTIR spectra of the wood sample studied from loading vectors and scores of PC1, PC2 and PC3 in 1800–800 cm -1 . Arrows indicate the directions of the changes in the intensity bands with increasing of biodegradation time. .

Function of the methanogenic community in mangrove soils as influenced by the chemical properties of the hydrosphere

ABSTRACTCoastal ecosystems represent a potential additional source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) that has been insufficiently quantified. Thus, to understand the mechanisms controlling greenhouse gas emissions in these ecosystems, this study investigated CH4 emissions from and the related microbial properties of mangrove soils. Soil and gas samples were collected from several plots at different distances from the seashore in Soc Trang and Ca Mau in Vietnam, and the Sundarbans in India. Soil samples were incubated under different conditions, i.e., anaerobic or aerobic, and the microbial properties of each soil sample with the addition of different amounts of seawater were analyzed. Relatively high CH4 fluxes and production were detected during the aerobic incubation of samples from the seashore plots in Soc Trang and Ca Mau. However, CH4 production was reduced under anaerobic conditions [soil electrical conductivity (EC): 179–289 mS m−1, pH (H2O): 7.45–8.10] compared with aerobic conditions [water content: 38.9–109.2%, EC: 187–299 mS m−1, pH (H2O): 6.86–7.72], but it increased with increasing sulfate concentration, soil EC and cellulase activity and lowering soil pH under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, mangrove soil with a relatively high level of total organic carbon (C) exhibited relatively high CH4 production when diluted 4-fold with seawater under anaerobic conditions [water content: 38.9–109.2%, EC: 533 mS m−1, pH (H2O): 6.67]. Nearly all of the DNA bands excised from polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis contained identical sequences related to archaea from the class Halobacteria. The high potential of the seashore plot for CH4 emissions could be due to the enhancement of cellulase activity under the intermittent oxygen supply, which promotes polysaccharide depolymerization and subsequently increases anaerobic methanogenic activities during tidal flooding. This study also indicates that the major archaea responsible for CH4 production require a particular hydrospheric salt concentration and soil pH.

Characterization of a thermostable endo-1,3(4)-β-glucanase from Caldicellulosiruptor sp. strain F32 and its application for yeast lysis.

β-1,3-Glucans, important structural components of cell wall or nutritional components of the endosperm, are extensively found in bacteria, fungi, yeast, algae, and plants. The structural complexity of β-1,3-glucans implies that the enzymatic depolymerization of polysaccharides needs combined activities of distinct enzymes. In this study, Lam16A-GH, the catalytic module of a putative glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 16 laminarinase/lichenase from thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor sp. F32, was purified and characterized through heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Lam16A-GH can hydrolyze both β-1,3-glucan (laminarin) and β-1,3-1,4-glucan (barley β-glucan) revealed by analysis of the products of polysaccharide degradation using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The time required for the loss of 50% of its activity is 45h under the optimal condition of 75°C and pH 6.5. Oligosaccharides degradation assay indicated that Lam16A-GH can catalyze endo-hydrolysis of the β-1,4 glycosidic linkage adjacent to a 3-O-substituted glucosyl residue in the mixed linked β-glucans, as well as the β-1,3 linkage. The survival rate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells depends on the addition of Lam16A-GH, and the cytoplasm protein was released from the apparently deconstructed yeast cells. These results indicate that the bi-functional thermostable Lam16A-GH exhibits unique enzymatic properties and potential for yeast lysis.

Silver and Gold Nanoparticles Embedded in Potato Starch Gel Films

Facile and environmentally friendly method of the preparation of silver and gold nanoparticles embedded in potato starch matrix (Sp) was developed. UVVIS spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed formation of ball shaped Ag and Au nanoparticles situated within the polysaccharide template. EDS spectra confirm presence of silver and gold nanocrystals in the obtained composites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that Sp/Au composite started to decompose earlier. The decomposition is slower and two-step, in contrast to Sp and Sp/Ag. NanoAg accelerates carbonization. Molecular weights of polysaccharide chains of the matrix were estimated with the size exclusion chromatography coupled with multiangle laser light scattering and refractometric detectors (HPSEC-MALLS-RI). Formation of nanosilver containing composites led to partial depolymerisation of polysaccharides from the amylose fraction. In the case of nanogold we observed depolymerisation of polysaccharide chains from both fractions.