Abstract
Acetyl and methyl derivatives of galactoxylan were isolated from Artemisia Capillaris, and their chemical properties were investigated. On hydrolysis, methylgalactoxylan gave 2, 3, 4-trimethylxylose, 2, 3-dimethylxylose, and 2, 3, 6-trimethylgalactose and 2, 3-dimethylgalactose. Galactoxylan gave galactoxylotriose, galactoxylotetraose, xylotriose and xylobiose. It was thus concluded that galactoxylan consisted of four parts of xylose and one part of galactose at a uniform rate. In the decomposing sugars, 2, 3, 4, 6-tetramethylgalactose or monomethylxylose disappeared. Galactose seemed to be at the position with side linkage without the last position on the structure. In comparision of their reducing activity, however, both 2, 3-dimethylxylose and 2, 3, 4-tetramethylxylose were twice as active as 2, 3-dimethylgalactose. Consequently, it was made clear that galactose with side linkage occupied one third of the whole galactose. Summarizing the facts mentioned above, the authors proposed a structural form of the galactoxylan.
