Neutral Monosaccharides Research Articles

Purification, preliminary structural characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Acanthus ilicifolius

Crude Acanthus ilicifolius (A. ilicifolius) polysaccharides (CAIP) were obtained by hot water extraction and deproteinated. Two major polysaccharide fractions, the neutral A. ilicifolius polysaccharide (NAIP) and the acid A. ilicifolius polysaccharide B (AAIP-B), were isolated from CAIP by chromatography using DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sepharose CL-6B. The molecular weights (Mw) of NAIP and AAIP-B, determined by high performance gel-filtration chromatography (HPGFC), were 11,775 and 23,161 Da, respectively. AAIP-B contained 51.23% uronic acid, characteristic of a pectin-type hetero-polysaccharide. Analysis of the neutral monosaccharide composition indicated that NAIP contained high proportions of arabinose, galactose and glucose. However, AAIP-B was mainly composed of rhamnose, arabinose and galactose. Their structure properties were confirmed by FT-IR.Both CAIP and AAIP-B had good free radical-scavenging capacities and reducing powers. AAIP-B was the most effective antioxidant in CAIP. AAIP-B (0.2 mg/mL) could scavenge 80% of DPPH free radicals and 56.4% of superoxide anion radicals.

The system of fucoidans from the brown seaweed Dictyota dichotoma: Chemical analysis and antiviral activity

Room-temperature acid (pH 2) extraction of Dictyota dichotoma thalli yielded 2.2% of sulfated polysaccharides. Further extraction with the same solvent at 70°C was conducted sequentially for nine times, with a total yield of 7.2%. Fucose was the main monosaccharide only in the room-temperature extract (EAR) and in the first 70°C extract (EAH1). The remaining fractions showed increasing amounts of mannose (the main neutral monosaccharide), xylose and uronic acids. Fractionation by means of cetrimide precipitation and redissolution in increasing sodium chloride solutions has allowed obtaining several subfractions from each extract. The fractions redissolved at lower NaCl concentrations have large amounts of uronic acids and lesser sulfate contents, whereas those redissolved at higher NaCl concentrations are heavily sulfated and have low uronic acid contents. For the fucose-rich extracts (EAR and EAH1), fractionation leads to uronoxylomannofucan-rich and galactofucan-rich fractions. The remaining extracts gave rise to complex mixtures, with mannose and uronic acid-rich polysaccharides. Moderate inhibitory effect against herpes virus (HSV-1) and Coxsackie virus (CVB3) were found for the galactofucan-rich fractions. Most of the other fractions were inactive against both viruses, although some xylomannan-rich fractions were also active against HSV-1.

Stereospecific generation and analysis of α- and β-hemiacetals of monosaccharides in gas phase

A series of Boc-protected 4-aminobutyl α- and β-glycosides of commonly found neutral monosaccharides were synthesized. The sodium adducted ions of these individual molecules were used in producing corresponding α- and β-anomers of hemiacetal species under collision-induced dissociation (CID) conditions. The Boc group was successfully removed under CID conditions producing 4-aminobutyl glycosides, which were then used as the precursors. An intramolecular attack of the aglyconic nitrogen atom onto C-1 position of aglycon assisted to leave hemiacetal ion species without affecting anomeric configurations. In this manner, stereospecific syntheses of sugar hemiacetals were first achieved in gas phase. The dissociation of sodium cation from a series of these hemiacetals was further studied according to energy-resolved mass spectrometry. In this study, it was found that all the sugar hemiacetals could be distinguished even if they have same m/z values. Furthermore, the order of affinity of Na+ toward the hemiacetals was determined.

Purification, characterization and immunomodulating activity of a pectic polysaccharide isolated from Korean mulberry fruit Oddi (Morus alba L.)

A water-soluble polysaccharide (JS-MP-1) was isolated and purified from the Korean mulberry fruits Oddi (Morus alba L.) by crushing the fresh fruits then performing ethanol precipitation and DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. The neutral monosaccharide composition of the purified JS-MP-1 was determined to be composed mainly of galactose (37.6%, in mole percent), arabinose (36.3%), and rhamnose (18.4%), while other major sugars such as glucose, xylose, mannose, and fucose were present as minor components. HPLC analysis revealed that JS-MP-1 contains both galacturonic acid (GalA) and glucuronic acid (GlcA) at approximately 4:1 in mole percent. Monosaccharide composition, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, biochemical analysis, and elemental analysis suggested that JS-MP-1 is an acidic heteropolysaccharide, most likely a rhamnoarabinogalacturonan type plant pectic polysaccharide, with an apparent molecular mass of 1600 kDa containing no, or if any, negligible level of sulfate esters and proteins. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that JS-MP-1 significantly stimulates murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells to release chemokines (RANTES and MIP-1α) and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and to induce the expression of iNOS and COX-2, which are responsible for the production of NO and prostaglandin PGE2, respectively. These results suggest that the mulberry fruit-derived polysaccharide JS-MP-1 can act as a potent immunomodulator, and these observations may support the applicability of this polysaccharide as an immunotherapeutic adjuvant or the water extracts of the mulberry fruit as a beneficial health food.

Characterisation and fractioning of Tectona grandis bark in view of its valorisation as a biorefinery raw-material

The anatomy and chemical composition of Tectona grandis bark from mature trees in East Timor are described as well as the characterisation of fractionation by grinding and granulometric separation.Teak bark is composed of secondary phloem, periderm and a narrow rhytidome that included various periderms with phloem tissues between them. The layer of phellem cells in each periderm was thin. The phloem showed an orderly stratification with tangential bands of fibres in concentric rings that alternated with thin bands of axial parenchyma and sieve tube elements. Abundant prismatic calcium oxalate crystals were present.The bark fractured easily into clean particles. The yield of fines was low and 64.4% of the particles were over 2mm.The mean chemical composition of teak bark was: ash 18.5%, total extractives 10.7%, lignin 20.0% and suberin 1.9%. The polysaccharides, corresponding to approximately 47%, showed a predominance of glucose (60.3% of total neutral monosaccharides) and an important content of xylose (20.0%). The content of rhamnose was also comparatively high (4.9%). The content of soluble phenolics was 1.6%. Ash elemental composition showed the predominance of calcium, representing about 93% of the total inorganics, followed by potassium (4.8%) and magnesium (1.9%).Extractives were present preferentially in the fines, with about 30% more extractives than the coarse fraction. Lignin content and monosaccharide composition were similar in the different bark fractions. A difference between fractions was found in relation to suberin content which was lower in the fines: 0.6% and 3.5% in the fine and medium fractions, respectively.

Structure of N-linked oligosaccharides attached to chlorovirus PBCV-1 major capsid protein reveals unusual class of complex N-glycans

The major capsid protein Vp54 from the prototype chlorovirus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1) contains four Asn-linked glycans. The structure of the four N-linked oligosaccharides and the type of substitution at each glycosylation site was determined by chemical, spectroscopic, and spectrometric analyses. Vp54 glycosylation is unusual in many ways, including: (i) unlike most viruses, PBCV-1 encodes most, if not all, of the machinery to glycosylate its major capsid protein; (ii) the glycans are attached to the protein by a β-glucose linkage; (iii) the Asn-linked glycans are not located in a typical N-X-(T/S) consensus site; and (iv) the process probably occurs in the cytoplasm. The four glycoforms share a common core structure, and the differences are related to the nonstoichiometric presence of two monosaccharides. The most abundant glycoform consists of nine neutral monosaccharide residues, organized in a highly branched fashion. Among the most distinctive features of the glycoforms are (i) a dimethylated rhamnose as the capping residue of the main chain, (ii) a hyperbranched fucose unit, and (iii) two rhamnose residues with opposite absolute configurations. These glycoforms differ from what has been reported so far in the three domains of life. Considering that chloroviruses and other members of the family Phycodnaviridae may have a long evolutionary history, we suggest that the chlorovirus glycosylation pathway is ancient, possibly existing before the development of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi pathway, and involves still unexplored mechanisms.

Fiber monosaccharides and digestibility of Milenio grass under N fertilization

Nutritive value of tropical forages is extremely dependent on management strategies adopted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of N fertilization doses (0, 150, 300, or 450kgN/ha/year) on chemical composition, in vitro digestibility, and neutral monosaccharides from cell walls of Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. IPR-86 Milenio. Grass samples were collected after 35 d of regrowth from paddocks managed under rotational stocking (35-d resting and 5-d occupation). All nutrient concentrations were affected by N fertilization, except ether extract. Although crude protein (CP) increased linearly with N dose, most nutrients were altered according to a quadratic trend. Each kilogram of N resulted in a 0.13 percentage unit increase in CP content (P<0.01). Nitrogen fertilization led to a quadratic increase of cellulose (P<0.01) and lignin (sa) (P<0.01) and, thus, ADF content (P<0.01). In contrast, hemicellulose was quadratically decreased (P<0.01), resulting in lower contents of NDF with N application rates higher than 89.3kg/ha/year (P<0.01). For fiber monosaccharides, arabinose decreased quadratically (P<0.01), following hemicellulose decrease. Hemicellulose is mainly composed of arabinose and xylose. Glucose content increased linearly with the N supply (P<0.01), and hence, cellulose accumulation. The xylose content was unaffected by treatments. Glucose and xylose were quantitatively more important than arabinose in cell walls of Milenio grass. In vitro digestibilities of DM, OM, and ADF increased linearly with N fertilization (P<0.01), whereas NDF digestibility followed a quadratic trend (P<0.01), with a maximum response at 349kgN/ha. Improvements in digestibility were also observed for neutral monosaccharides (P<0.01). For all treatments, xylose was less digestible than arabinose and glucose. In conclusion, N fertilization increased CP content, stimulated the formation of glucose and arabinose in cell walls, leading to a higher forage quality. Forage quality was enhanced with N doses up to 300kg/ha/year.

Comparative decomposition kinetics of neutral monosaccharides by microwave and induction heating treatments

The stabilities of five neutral monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose, and xylose) were kinetically compared after the molecules were submitted to microwave heating (internal heating) and induction heating (external heating) under completely identical thermal histories by employing PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) temperature controlled ovens and homogeneous mixing. By heating in water at 200°C, the rate constants for the decomposition reactions varied from 2.13×10−4 to 3.87×10−4s−1 for microwave heating; however, the values increased by 1.1- to 1.5-fold for induction heating. Similarly, in a dilute (0.8%) sulfuric acid solution, the decomposition rate constants varied from 0.61×10−3 to 2.00×10−3s−1 for microwave heating; however, the values increased by 1.5- to 2.2-fold for induction heating. The results show that microwave heating imparts greater stability to neutral monosaccharides than does induction heating. The undesirable decomposition of monosaccharides at the surface boundary of reactor walls may have increased the probability of monosaccharide decomposition during induction heating.

Association between ferrous iron accumulation and pentachlorophenol degradation at the paddy soil–water interface in the presence of exogenous low-molecular-weight dissolved organic carbon

Fourteen low-molecular-weight organic acids (organic acids) and eight neutral monosaccharides (monosaccharides) were used to investigate the intrinsic link between ferrous iron [Fe(II)] accumulation and pentachlorophenol (PCP) degradation at the paddy soil–floodwater interface. Using logistic curve fitting, significant differences were observed between Fe(II) accumulation with organic acids and monosaccharides. These differences were attributed to large variations in the dissociation constants and the number of carbon atoms per molecule. A significant relationship was observed between the maximum capacity of Fe(II) accumulation and PCP degradation. Correlations were established between environmental variables including PCP, NaOAc-/HCl-extractable Fe(II), water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), anodic peak oxidation potential (Ep) of Fe(II) species, oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), and pH. The increase in pH combined with WSOC consumption caused a decrease in Ep, which greatly enhanced the HCl-extractable Fe(II) accumulation and subsequently contributed to PCP degradation.

Composition and properties of pectin polysaccharides of St. John’s wort Hypericum Perforatum L.

Three fractions of acidic water-soluble polysaccharides (concentration of glucuronic acid 10–65%) were obtained from the above-ground part of St. Johns wort Hypericum perforatum L. by serial extraction with water and 0.7% aqueous solution of ammonium oxalate. Enzymatic hydrolysis of these polysaccharides using endo-polygalacturonase indicates that their carbohydrate chains contain the units of galacturone formed by 1,4-α-linked residues of non-substituted D-galacturonic acid. The extracted polysaccharides have been purified by means of gel filtration. It has been shown that water-soluble polysaccharides obtained by extraction with water manly contain the residues of galactose, mannose, glucose, and arabinose (the concentration of glucuronic acid being 10–27%) while the polysaccharide fraction extracted using 0.7% aqueous solution of ammonium oxalate is presented by pectin polysaccharides. Only the residues of galacturonic acid (55–72%) have been identified among glucuronic acids in its composition using chromatography/mass spectrometry of trimethylsilyl derivatives. In addition, this fraction contains the residues of the neutral monosaccharides which are typical for pectins: arabinoses, galactoses, rhamnoses, and glucose; there are also minor concentrations of residues of xylose and mannose. IR spectra of pectin polysaccharides of St. John’s wort have absorption bands in the ranges 1740, 1640–1620, 1236–1200, and 1200–1000 cm−1 which are typical for pectins. It has been demonstrated that aqueous solutions of pectin polysaccharides of St. John’s wort (2 mg/mL) have pronounced antioxidant activity (44% of the activity of trolox taken for 100%).

Fragmentation characteristics of glycopeptides

Mass spectrometric analysis of glycopeptides is an emerging strategy for analysis of glycosylation patterns. Here we present an approach using energy resolved collision induced dissociation (CID) spectra to determine structural features of glycopeptides. Fragmentation of multiply protonated glycopeptides proceeds by a series of competing charge separation processes by cleavage of a glycosidic bond, each producing two charged products: a singly charged, “B” type sugar (oxonium) ion, and a complementary high mass fragment. Energy requirements (activation energies) of these processes are similar to each other, and are far less, than that required for peptide fragmentation. At higher collision energies these first generation products fragment further, yielding a complex fragmentation pattern. Analysis of low energy spectra (those corresponding to ca. 50% survival yield) are straightforward; the ions observed correspond to structural features present in the oligosaccharide, and are not complicated by consecutive reactions. This makes it feasible to identify and distinguish antenna- and core-fucosylated isomers; antenna fucosylation usually suggests presence of the Lewis-X antigen. In general, analysis of the triply protonated molecules are most advantageous, where neutral losses and monosaccharide oxonium ion formation are less abundant.

Pig sperm membrane microdomains contain a highly glycosylated 15–25-kDa wheat germ agglutinin-binding protein

A highly glycosylated protein, which has unique, novel features in localization, structure, and potential function, is found in pig sperm, and named WGA-gp due to its high binding property with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). WGA-gp is localized mainly in flagella and enriched in membrane microdomains or lipid rafts. It is not detected by ordinary protein staining methods due to a high content of both N- and O-glycans consisting of neutral monosaccharides. Interestingly, WGA-gp may be involved in intracellular Ca2+ regulation. Treatment of sperm with anti-WGA-gp antibody enhances the amplitude of Ca2+ oscillation without changing the basal intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. All these features of WGA-gp, except for different carbohydrate structures occupying most part of the molecules, are similar to those of flagellasialin in sea urchin sperm, which regulates the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Presence of carbohydrate-enriched flagellar proteins involved in intracellular Ca2+ regulation may be a common feature among animal sperm.

Monosaccharide composition of the outer membrane lipopolysaccharide and O-chain from the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-87

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) protruding from the outermost layer of the outer membrane is expected to play an important role in cell physiology by interacting with molecules in the extracellular milieu; however, the structural and functional characteristics of these components in cyanobacteria remain largely unknown. We isolated water-soluble fractions of LPS and O-chain from the bloom-forming freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa NIES-87 and identified their monosaccharide compositions. SDS-PAGE followed by silver staining demonstrated that the isolated total LPS was the smooth type with different numbers of repeating sugar units in the O-chain region. GC/MS analysis after acid hydrolysis, reduction and acetylation treatments indicated that the neutral monosaccharide components of the total LPS include glucose, rhamnose, mannose, galactose and xylose (in decreasing order of weight percentage), while only glucose was detected in the purified O-chain fraction. MALDI-TOF MS analysis suggested that the O-chain fraction is composed of repeating glucose and methylated glucose disaccharide units. Our results indicate that the monosaccharide composition of M.aeruginosa O-chain is relatively simple. Although further studies are necessary, these findings provide fundamental information for understanding the structural and functional properties of cyanobacterial LPS and O-chain.

Application of 2,3-Naphthalenediamine in Labeling Natural Carbohydrates for Capillary Electrophoresis

Neutral and acidic monosaccharide components in Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide are readily labeled with 2,3-naphthalenediamine, and the resulting saccharide-naphthimidazole (NAIM) derivatives are quantified by capillary electrophoresis (CE) in borate buffer. Using sulfated-α-cyclodextrin as the chiral selector, enantiomers of monosaccharide-NAIMs are resolved on CE in phosphate buffer, allowing a simultaneous determination of the absolute configuration and sugar composition in the mucilage polysaccharide of a medicinal herb Dendrobium huoshanense. Together with the specific enzymatic reactions of various glycoside hydrolases on the NAIM derivatives of glycans, the structures of natural glycans can be deduced from the digestion products identified by CE analysis. Though heparin dissachrides could be successfully derived with the NAIM-labeling method, the heparin derivatives with the same degree of sulfation could not be separated by CE.

C-terminal Modification of Osteopontin Inhibits Interaction with the αVβ3-Integrin

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional phosphorylated protein containing the integrin binding sequence Arg-Gly-Asp through which it interacts with several integrin receptors, such as the α(V)β(3)-integrin. OPN exists in many different isoforms differing in phosphorylation status that are likely to interact differently with integrins. The C-terminal region of OPN is particularly well conserved among mammalian species, which suggests an important functional role of this region. In this study, we show that modification of the extreme C terminus of OPN plays an important regulatory role for the interaction with the α(V)β(3)-integrin. It is demonstrated that highly phosphorylated OPN has a much reduced capability to promote cell adhesion via the α(V)β(3)-integrin compared with lesser phosphorylated forms. The cell attachment promoted by highly phosphorylated OPN could be greatly increased by both dephosphorylation and proteolytic removal of the C terminus. Using recombinantly expressed OPN containing a tag in the N or C terminus, it is shown that a modification in the C-terminal part significantly reduces the adhesion of cells to OPN via the α(V)β(3)-integrin, whereas modification of the N terminus does not influence the binding. The inhibited binding of the α(V)β(3)-integrin to OPN could be restored by proteolytic removal of the C terminus by thrombin and plasmin. These data illustrate a novel mechanism regulating the interaction of OPN and the α(V)β(3)-integrin by modification of the highly conserved C-terminal region of the protein.

Characterization of Dietary Fiber from Millet Brans

The dietary fibres (DFs) were obtained by enzymatic-chemical method from glutinous and normal millet brans from China, and their main components, neutral monosaccharide composition were analyzed. Some physicochemical properties of the two DFs were evaluated also, including the swelling capacity, water holding capacity (WHC), and oil holding capacity (OHC), et al. Data showed that the total dietary fiber content of glutinous millet bran (GMB) was 76.58g/100g, of which 69.09 g/100 g was insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and 7.49g/100g was soluble dietary fiber (SDF), compared with normal millet bran (NMB), 73.18g/100g total dietary fiber, 65.55g/100g IDF and 7.63g/100g SDF, respectively. The DF extracted from the two raw materials both possess excellent properties, the SC values were 4.8mL/g and 4.61mL/g (37°C) for DFs of glutinous and normal samples, respectively. Also, both the two DFs exhibit obvious binding ability to the cholesterol at pH 7(GMB DF 8.14 mg/g, NMB DF 7.89mg/g).

Juices, Fibres and Skin Waste Extracts from White, Pink or Red-Fleshed Apple Genotypes as Potential Food Ingredients

This study measures and compares the bioactive content and appearance attributes of juices, dietary fibres (DFs) and skin wastes of three apple genotypes (white fleshed (WF), pink fleshed (PF) and red fleshed (RF)). The juices of the PF and RF apples had more appealing and stable colours and much greater total extractable polyphenol content (TEPC) (RF had the highest, 3.40 mg catechin equivalent/mL juice) and vitamin C (PF had the highest, 14.2 mg/100 mL juice), compared with the WF apple. DFs isolated from the three apples using aqueous and ethanolic methods varied in bioactive profiles as a function of genotype. The TEPC and antioxidant activity (AA) of the fibres decreased in the order of PF > RF > WF. The total DF (TDF) in the fibre obtained using the aqueous method decreased in the order of RF > PF > WF. The ethanolic method yielded higher neutral monosaccharide (NM) and slightly greater TDF contents than the aqueous method. More polyphenol species were detected in the PF fibres, especially those obtained using the aqueous method. The polyphenol content in the apple skin decreased in the order of RF > WF > PF, with PF having slightly more pectic polysaccharides. As a whole, the RF apple appeared to be the best genotype as the potential source for juice, fibre and skin waste extract (SWE) ingredients. The PF apple would be the second best genotype for juice and fibre ingredients. The skin of the RF and WF genotypes would provide a good source of polyphenols. There is potential for promoting RF and PF apple genotypes because of their excellent nutritional values. The aqueous fibre preparation method used herein containing no solvent treatment and freezing steps represents an industrial-scale cost-effective alternative to the conventional ethanolic methods used for producing DFs whilst retaining polyphenols.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Different Polysaccharides from the Roots of Angelica dahurica

The total crude polysaccharides (CADPs), isolated from the roots of Angelica dahurica by H(2) O extraction, EtOH precipitation, and dialysis, and the four fractions ADP1, ADP2, ADP3, and ADP4, obtained by gel filtration of the CADPs, were analyzed to characterize their composition and evaluated for their antioxidant activity using different in vitro tests such as the malondialdehyde (MDA)-production, the ferrous ion (Fe(2+) )-chelating, and the HO(.) radical-scavenging assays. The predominant neutral monosaccharides in the four fractions were identified as arabinose, galactose, and glucose, while the composition and ratio of the monosaccharides were different between the fractions. The CADPs and its fractions were found to significantly inhibit lipid peroxidation, chelate Fe(2+) , and scavenge HO(.) radicals, indicating that these polysaccharides possessed antioxidant activity. Among the four fractions, ADP4 exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, which was stronger than that of the control antioxidant vitamin E (Vit E). Taken together, the chemical composition of these polysaccharides might affect their antioxidant activity, and ADP4 could be explored as a source of potential novel natural antioxidants for food and pharmaceutical purposes.

Periodic acid–Schiff’s reagent assay for carbohydrates in a microtiter plate format

Microtiter plate colorimetric assays are widely used for analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. However, mucins are often not easily detected, as they have low neutral sugar content. We have adapted and optimised the periodic acid–Schiff’s reagent (PAS) staining for microtiter plate assay by examining five factors: concentration and volume of periodic acid, oxidation time, volume of Schiff’s reagent, and color development time. This assay requires just 25 μl of sample, utilises standardised Schiff’s reagent, and has decreased assay time (140 min to completion). Seventeen monosaccharides (acidic, neutral, basic, phosphorylated, and deoxy) and four disaccharides were assessed. PAS-positive carbohydrates (amino, N-acetylamino, deoxy, and certain neutral monosaccharides, and sialic acids) responded linearly within a 10–100 nmol range approximately, which varied for each carbohydrate. The assay response for fetuin and porcine gastric mucin (PGM) was linear up to 150 μg (highest concentration tested), with no response from nonglycosylated protein. A lower response for asialofetuin was observed, but desialylated PGM preparations were similar or higher in response than their sialylated counterparts. The simplicity and low sample consumption of this method make it an excellent choice for screening or quantitation of chromatographic fractions containing carbohydrates and glycoconjugates, especially in the case of mucins.

Determination of pectin content of eucalyptus wood

AbstractVery little is known about the occurrence of pectin in wood and it is speculated that between 10 mg g-1and 40 mg g-1of wood consists of pectin. The present study aimed to quantify pectin in eucalyptus wood and to determine the influence of tree species, yield potential of the site, tree age class and wood tissue type on its occurrence. Wood was hydrolysed using the Saeman procedure and the neutral and acidic monosaccharides quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Thed-galacturonic acid was the predominant pectic monosaccharide followed byd-galactose,l-arabinose andl-rhamnose. Through the addition of all pectic monosaccharides, it was determined that eucalyptus wood contained between 15.2 mg g-1and 25.8 mg g-1pectin. Wood tissue type had a major influence on the total pectin content of the samples. The cambium contained the highest concentration of pectin, reflecting more active growth. These results contribute to the understanding of wood biochemistry and can be useful in the industries producing biofuels or paper.