Structural analysis of alkaline-soluble polysaccharide, P-1, from the kernels of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.

A polysaccharide fraction extracted with cold 0.5 M NaOH from the kernels of Prunus mume exhibited some biological activities. A polysaccharide, P-1, was purified from the 0.5M NaOH extract by ion-exchange chromatography and gel-filtration. The results of the structural analysis of P-1 to determine the relationship between the activities and the structure are described in this paper. In the mild acid hydrolysis of P-1, the nondialyzable hydrolysate (I-3) believed to be its core portion was obtained. The yield of I-3 was 26.0% and contained 59.8% uronic acid as galacturonic acid (GalA). The neutral sugars of I-3 were composed of rhamnose, xylose and galactose in a molar ratio of 1.0:3.4:0.3 following analysis by gas-liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of I-3 was estimated to be ca. 14000 by gel-filtration on Toyopearl HW55F. I-3 exhibited the mitogenic activity toward spleen cells as well as P-1. These facts appeared to confirm that I-3 was the core part of P-1 and important for its biological activity. I-3 was successfully reduced by the Taylor and Conrad method to avoid so much repetition. Methylation analysis of the reduced hydrolysate by gas-liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy showed that the ratio of 1,4-linked galactopyranosyl and 1,3,4-linked galactopyranosyl residues were significantly increased in comparison with native I-3. These results suggested that I-3 was composed of 1,4- and 1,3,4-linked galacturonic acid residues in the main chain.