Heterogeneity of carrageenans from Chondrus crispus.

Carrageenans extracted from gametophytic and sporophytic Chondrus crispus were analysed by hydrolysis, KCl fractionation and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The carrageenan from gametophytic plants is composed predominantly of two KCl insoluble fractions which contain kappa-carrageenan as the major component with 1-carrageenan and sulphated galactans as minor components. The precursor mu- and v-carrageenans were not found in the soluble fraction. The extract from sporophytic plants is composed mainly of a KCl soluble fraction which could be separated into 10 fractions by ion-exchange chromatography. The major component did not show a lambda-type structure but one of a xi-carrageenan.