Characterisation by 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy of oligosaccharides, derived from arabinoxylans of white endosperm of wheat, that contain the elements →4[α-L-Araf-(1→3)]-β-D-Xylp-(1→ or →4)[α-L-Araf-(1→2)][α-L-Araf-(1→3)]-β-D-Xylp-(1→

Abstract

The structure of penta- to hepta-saccharides, generated by digestion of purified wheat-endosperm arabinoxylan with endo-(1¨4)-beta-D-xylanase and isolated by gel-permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P-6 followed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, was established using monosaccharide and methylation analysis, f.a.b.-m.s., and 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The oligosaccharides had a core of (1¨4)-linked beta-D-xylopyranosyl residues 3- or 2,3-substituted with single alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl groups, and gave 1H-n.m.r. spectra typical for each type.