title: Structural analysis of a homogeneous polysaccharide from Achatina fulica.
abstract: Edible snails have been widely used as a health food and medicine in many countries. In our study, a water-soluble polysaccharide (AF-1) was isolated and purified from Achatina fulica by papain enzymolysis, alcohol precipitation and strong anion exchange chromatography. Structureof the polysaccharide was analyzed and characterized by chemical and instrumental methods, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography, analysis of monosaccharide composition, methylation analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (1H,13C, COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC). Chemical composition analysis indicated that AF-1 is composed of glucose (Glc) and its average molecular weight is 1710kDa. Structural analysis suggested that AF-1 is mainly consisted of a linear repeating backbone of (1→4) linked α-d-Glc p residues with one branch, α-d-Glc p, attached to the main chain by (1→6) glycosidic bonds at every five main-chain units. Further studies on biological activities of the polysaccharide are currently in progress.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; School of Pharmacy, Yunnan University of TCM, Kunming 650500, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Dali University, Dali 671003, China.
authors.forename: Feineng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Yunnan University of TCM, Kunming 650500, China.
authors.forename: Zengming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China. Electronic address: mingyiwu_tju@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mingyi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China. Electronic address: zhao.jinhua@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008970:Molecular Weight; D008974:Mollusca / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012995:Solubility; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D014867:Water; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Chemical structure; NMR; Polysaccharide; Snail