Isolation of nigerose and kojibiose from dextrans

Abstract

THE occurrence of 1,3-α linkage in some dextrans has already been suggested by many workers1-5. Barker et al.3,4 have fractionated the partial acid hydrolysate of the dextran produced by Betacoccus arabinosaseous (Birmingham strain) on a charcoal column and recognized the presence of a trace of nigerose by paper chromatography. Jeanes et al.5 have characterized dextrans from 96 strains of bacteria by periodate oxidation analysis and classified them into several groups on the basis of the proportions of 1,3 like linkages. According to their results, 29 of them appeared to contain more than 10 per cent 1,3 -linkages and a few of them showed an extremely high content of 1,3-linkages (more than 30 per cent). © 1961 Nature Publishing Group.