1981 Volume 29 Issue 8 Pages 2277-2282
A representative mucilage, named Althaea-mucilage OL, has been isolated from the leaves of Althaea officinalis L. The final Preparation was homogeneous as determined by ultracentrifugal analysis, cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, and gel chromatography. Its water solution gave an intrinsic viscosity value of 49.0. It was mainly composed of partially acetylated acidic polysaccharide, and its molecular weight was estimated to be about 1800000. The polysaccharide was composed of L-rhamnose : D-galacturonic acid : D-glucuronic acid in the molar ratio of 1.5 : 1.1 : 1.0. Analysis of component sugars, together with reduction and methylation, and partial degradation studies made it possible to deduce the structural features of the polysaccharide moiety in the mucilage.
