Abstract
Fungal (1→3)-β-D-glucans possess two kinds of conformations in the solid state, i.e., helix (curdlan type) and native (laminaran type)(Ohno et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull., 34, 2555 (1986); Saito et al., Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 59, 2903 (1986)). In this paper, the glucan conformations in the fruit bodies of several edible fungi were examined by using carbon-13 cross polarization-magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The fruit bodies were washed extensively with water, defatted by refluxing with ethanol, and/or treated with mataperiodate then borohydride. Most of the fruit bodies showed C-3 signals at about 86ppm, resembling those of the native form. These findings suggested that the (1→3)-β-D-glucan conformation in the fruit body is the "native form."
