X-RAY FIBER DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF MEMBERS OF THE GELLAN FAMILY OF POLYSACCHARIDES

X-Ray fibre diffraction studies are reported for gellan gum and the family of related polysaccharides S-130, S-198, S-88 and S-194. Whereas the linear gellan molecules yield highly crystalline patterns, the branched polysaccharides yield well-aligned but poorly crystalline patterns. These patterns are consistent with the proposed 3-fold double helical structure of gellan with small changes in pitch dependent upon type and position of branches.