PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PANAX GINSENG C.A. MEY PECTIN

The purity of two acidic polysaccharides (SA, SB) from ginseng pectin was established by cellulose acetate film electrophoresis and glass-fiber paper electrophoresis.SA contained galactose, arabinose and rhamnose residues in the molar ratio of 4.7:2.6:1 and 26% of galacturonic acid residues, β-(1→3)-D-galactan was obtained from SA on partial hydrolysis with acid and Smith degradation.SB contained galactose, arabinose and rhamnose residues in the molar ratio of 3.3:1.8:1.α-(1→4)-D-galacturonan was obtained from SB on partial hydrolysis with acid. The molecular weight of α-(1→4)-D-galacturonan from SB was shown to be less than 20000.