title: A fucoidan fraction from Ascophyllum nodosum.
abstract: A fucoidan fraction was purified from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum. The polysaccharide contained L-fucose and sulfate as the only constituents. Combination of methylation analysis, Smith degradation, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy on the native and the de-sulfated polymers demonstrated that the fucoidan consisted of a highly branched core region with primarily alpha-(1-->3)-linked fucosyl residues and a few alpha-(1-->4) linkages. Branch points were at position 2 of the -->3-linked internal residues. The side chains consisted of single and multi-unit fucosyl residues. The combined analytical data suggested also a complex sulfation pattern with substitution principally at position 2 and/or position 4. Such diversity in the structural features of this fucoidan may be of importance for its various biological properties.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales (CERMAV-CNRS, UPR 5301 and Université Joseph Fourier), BP 53, F-38041, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Marais
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Joseleau
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D005643:Fucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008745:Methylation; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013431:Sulfates; D005643:Fucose; C007789:fucoidan