Abstract
The mucilage of Digenea simplex AGARDH has been isolated and subjected to partial methanolysis. Agarobiose dimethylacetal was obtained in high yield in addition to 3, 6-anhydro-L-galactose dimethylacetal, methyl D-galactoside, methyl D-xyloside and the other oligosaccharides. By acetylation of the mucilage followed by extraction with chloroform and alkali treatment, a pure polysaccharide was obtained. Partial methanolysis and methylation studies provided the evidence that the polysaccharide is mainly composed of alternately repeated units of 1, 3-linked D-galactose and 1, 4-linked 3, 6-anhydro-L-galactose, but the presences of 1, 4-linked D-xylose and sulfate ester were also found in part of it.
