Adhesion of β-D-glucans to cellulose

Schizophyllan, a Schizophylium commune beta-D-glucan, a Tamarindus xyloglucan, locust bean gum, a galactomannan, a barley beta-D-glucan, and chitosan show specific adhesion to microcrystalline cellulose (cellulose I). Xyloglucan, locust bean gum, barley beta-D-glucan, and chitosan also show the ability to adhere mercerized cellulose (cellulose: II), while schizophyllan does not. As the molecular weight of schizophyllan decreases, both its ability to form triple-helical structures and its adhesion to cellulose I diminish and finally disappear, indicating that the adhesion of schizophyllan to cellulose I depends on high-molecular-weight domains that adopt the triple-helical structures. On the other hand, the adhesion of locust bean gum, chitosan, and xyloglucan to celluloses was found to be largely independent of molecular weight. Furthermore, it is thought that the adhesion of barley beta-D-glucan occurs because it belongs to a group of xyloglucans. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.