CHARACTERIZATION BY H-1-NMR SPECTROSCOPY OF OLIGOSACCHARIDES, DERIVED FROM ARABINOXYLANS OF WHITE ENDOSPERM OF WHEAT, THAT CONTAIN THE ELEMENTS -]4)[ALPHA-L-ARAF-(1-]3)]-BETA-D-XYLP-(1-] OR -]4)[ALPHA-L-ARAF-(1-]2)][ALPHA-L-ARAF-(1-]3)]-BETA-D-XYLP-(1-])

The structure of penta- to hepta-saccharides, generated by digestion of purified wheat-endosperm arabinoxylan with endo-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-xylanase and isolated by gel-permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P-6 followed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, was established using monosaccharide and methylation analysis, f.a.b.-m.s. and H-1-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The oligosaccharides had a core of (1 --> 4)-linked beta-D-xylopyranosyl residues 3- or 2.3-substituted with single alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl groups, and gave H-1-n.m.r. spectra typical for each type.