Analysis of polysaccharides and monosaccharides in the root mucilage of maize (Zea mays L.) by gas chromatography

Root mucilage of maize (Zea mays L.) was purified using Sephadex size-exclusion chromatography to allow subsequent analysis of the polysaccharides derived from this mucilage. Hydrolysis of the polysaccharides to their constituent monosaccharides and conversion of these monomers to volatile peracetate derivatives allowed analysis of these derivatives using gas chromatography. This permitted identification and broad quantification of the major components of the polysaccharides. Two methods have been developed: (1) a two-step hydrolysis/acetylation procedure and (2) a one-step acetolysis. Gas chromatograms obtained using the latter procedure are far simpler due to the formation of predominantly one anomer for each monomer component. In both cases, the major monosaccharide components of the polysaccharides were identified as fucose, arabinose, galactose and glucose. Analysis of the crude maize mucilage demonstrated that monosaccharides co-exist with polysaccharides. The monosaccharides were again converted to their peracetates and gas chromatography identified the major monosaccharide component as glucose. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.