Abstract
A representative mucilage, named Abelmoschus-mucilage M, has been isolated from the roots of Abelmoschus manihot MEDICUS. It was homogeneous by ultracentrifugal analysis and on cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, and its water solution gave the high intrinsic viscosity value of 33.0. It was composed of 82% of polysaccharide and approximately 17% of protein, and molecular weight of its ammonium salt was estimated to be 25300. Its carbohydrate part was composed of L-rhamnose : D-galacturonic acid : D-glucuronic acid in the molar ratio of 1.2 : 1.0 : 1.0. The mucilage has been subjected to the reduction of carboxyl groups, and the result of methylation analysis of the product revealed the structural feature of the polysaccharide moiety in it.
