CONSTITUTION OF A GLUCOMANNAN FROM JACK PINE (PINUS BANKSIANA, LAMB)

Abstract

A hemicellulose fraction from jack pine wood has been shown to contain D-mannose, D-glucose, and D-galactose in a molar ratio of 49:17:2. The glucomannan was electrophoretically homogeneous and showed a degree of polymerization of 18–21 by three different methods of end group analysis. Methylation and hydrolysis yielded the following O-methyl ethers: 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-glucose (2.8 moles); 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-galactose (1 mole); 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-D-mannose (52 moles); 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-D-glucose (15.3 moles); di-O-methyl-D-glucose (1 mole); di-O-methyl-D-galactose (2 moles). Lack of survival of any monosaccharides in the periodate-oxidized glucomannan showed that there was no branching through C2 or C3 of any of the units. Gas–liquid partition chromatography was used to analyze products from methylation and hydrolysis and from periodate oxidation and reduction of the polysaccharides. The results showed that the glucomannan from jack pine was composed of 1 → 4 linked β-D-mannose and β-D-glucose residues with D-galactose residues present as non-reducing terminal units. Branching, if any, must occur through C6 of units making up the polysaccharide. This structure is compared with those of glucomannans found in other soft woods.