ACIDIC MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDES OF HUMAN SKIN

The problems of extraction of acidic mucopolysaccharides from fibrous, human skin have been overcome, and a procedure has been established. The mucopolysaccharides so obtained have been fractionated by anion exchange. Determination of the hexuronic acid, 2-amino-2-deoxyhexose, and sulphate contents, and identification of the constituent 2-amino-2-deoxyhexoses of these polysaccharides have established the presence of three fractions containing hyaluronic acid, and of chondroitin 4-sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate, and dermatan sulphate in human skin. The characterisation of these polysaccharides on a basis of chemical structure has been made on 150-μg samples by using micro methods. © 1969.