Abstract
Bletilla-glucomannan, the mucous polysaccharide isolated from Bletilla striata REICHENBACH fil., was found to contain 4.2% of O-acetyl group. The O-acetyl groups were located in position 3 of most of the glucose units. Methylation study provided the evidences that the polysaccharide is mainly composed of β-1→4 linked aldohexopyranose residues having a branched structure with 1→2 branch point at a part of mannose units, and mannose units occupy non-reducing terminal positions in the molecule.
