[Polysaccharides of the fungus Cunninghamella japonica mycelium].

Preliminary data on the polysaccharide composition of mycelium of the submerged grown fungus Cunninghamella japonica (synonymous with C. echinulata) were obtained. Mild acid hydrolysis of the mycelium led to formation of glucose, mannose and galactose, whereas acid treatment under drastic conditions afforded glucosamine as the hydrolysis product of chitin and chitosan, the summary content of both glucosaminoglycans being estimated as about 35%. Sequential treatment of the mycelium with hot water, 2% aqueous NaOH and 10% AcOH gave rise to several polysaccharide fractions, which were characterized by their monosaccharide composition. The yield ofchitosan extracted by AcOH was negligible. Additional purification of the fraction obtained by the action of alkali afforded a polysaccharide preparation, which was shown to be a linear (1-->3)-alpha-D-glucopyranan according to the data of chemical methods of structural analysis and NMR spectroscopy. It was concluded that Cunninghamella japonica differs from several other known representatives of Mucorales by the presence of this alpha-D-glucan, as well as by low content of chitosan and polyuronides.