Masashi Tomoda

Structure of panaxan B, a hypoglycaemic glycan of Panax ginseng roots☆

Abstract A hypoglycaemic principle, panaxan B, obtained from the roots of Panax ginseng , was shown to be a peptidoglycan with M r of about 1 800 000. Physico-chemical and chemical studies indicated panaxan B to be mainly composed of α-1 → 6 linked D -glycopyranose residues with branching at the C-3 position, the ratio of terminals, branching positions and intermediate units being about 1:1:1.8.

Plant Mucilages. XI. Isolation and Characterization of a Mucous Polysaccharide, "Paniculatan, " from the Barks of Hydrangea paniculata

A mucous polysaccharide, named paniculatan, has been isolated from the inner barks of Hydrangea paniculata SIEB. It was homogeneous by ultracentrifugal analysis and on glass-fiber paper electrophoresis. It was composed of L-rhamnose : D-galactose : 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid : D-galacturonic acid in the molar ratio of 8 : 16 : 10 : 23. The O-acetyl groups in it were identified and the content was 2.0%. Molecular weight of its ammonium salt was estimated at 109000. Periodate oxidation study suggested that the polysaccharide has the high branching structure, whose terminals are occupied by all of 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid units and by about three fourth of D-galacturonic acid units.