Pectins in Extracellular Polysaccharides from a Cell-Suspension Culture of Mentha

Abstract

  Pectin constituents, which were about 70 w/w% of extracellular polysaccharides (ECP) from a cell-suspension culture of Mentha, were purified by gel filtration chromatography, and their sugar composition and linkage were investigated. Two major constituents identified were (1→3)-linked galactan carrying arabinosyl residues on C-6 and (1→4)-α-linked galacturonan partially interspersed with (1→2)-linked rhamnosyl resides. Acetylated or methylated pectins were not identified on ¹H-NMR analysis.