B. V. Baltzer

Glycerol-, inositol-, and reducing end hexose-containing oligosaccharides in human urine

Ten previously unreported oligosaccharides have been purified from the urines of human subjects using a combination of gel filtration, ion exchange, and thin-layer chromatographies. Their structures were determined by direct probe mass spectrometry, methylation analysis, and proton NMR spectroscopy of the permethylated oligosaccharide alditols.On the basis of composition, the oligosaccharides could be divided into three groups. Five oligosaccharides containing glycerol were characterized as glucosylα1-1′glycerol; glucosylβ1-1′glycerol; galactosylβ1-1′glycerol; glucosyl-1-1′(fucosyl-1-2′)glycerol and/or fucosyl-1-1′(glucosyl-1-2′)glycerol; and glucosyl-1-1′(galactosyl-1-2′)glycerol or galactosyl-1-1′(glucosyl-1-2′)glycerol. Four inositol-containing oligosaccharides were characterized as galactosylβ1 (fucosylα1)inositol,N-acetylgalactosaminylα1 (fucosylα1)inositol, fucosylα1-2galactosylβ1 (N-acetylgalactosaminylα1)inositol and fucosylα1-2galactosylβ1-4-N-acetylglucosaminylα1(N-acetylgalactosaminylα1)inositol. Finally, galactosylα1-3(fucosylα1-2)galactosylβ1-6galactosylα1-4(fucosylα1-3)glucose, an oligosaccharide with glucose at its reducing end, was tentatively identified. The significance and possible origins of the carbohydrate structures are discussed.