Structural studies of a rhamnogalacturonan from the stipules of Musanga cercropoides.

The major water-soluble polysaccharide isolated from the stipules of Musanga cercropoides has been investigated, using n.m.r. spectroscopy, methylation analysis, and solvolysis in liquid hydrogen fluoride as the main methods. It is concluded that the polysaccharide is of the rhamnogalacturonan type and is, at least mainly, composed of tetrasaccharide repeating-units having the following structure [formula: see text] The polysaccharide further contains approximately two O-acetyl groups per repeating unit, which have not been located.