Abstract

Smith Degradation Technique Used for the Identification of Polyalcohols from Periodate Oxidized Seeds Polysaccharide of Cassia Hirsuta Linn. Plant

Author(s): R. B. Singh

Polysaccharides was extracted from Cassia hirsuta Linn. seeds with water and precipitated with ethanol. On acid hydrolysis of polysaccharide with sulphuric acid and obtained hydrolysed compound was characterized by column and paper chromatographic analysis was found D-galactose and D-mannose in 1 : 4 molar ratio. Periodate oxidized polysaccharide was carried out on reduction with sodium borohydride by Smith degradation method followed by acid hydrolysis with sulphuric acid yielded polyalcohols as glycerol and erythritol in 1.02 : 3.65 molar ratio with traces of D-mannose on paper chromatogram. Derivatives of glycerol and erythritol were prepared by usual manner as: glycerol-tri-O-p-nitrobenzoate m.p. 187.20C and tetra-O-tosyl-erythritol, m.p. 163-1640C. Absorbance of polyalcohols were recorded at 540 mμ in photoelectrocolorimeter for glycerol and erythritol, it indicated on branch point on the average of four sugar hexoses are in the main polymer chain while one hexose at the non-reducing end for the support of earlier proposed seeds polysaccharide structure of Cassia hirsuta Linn. plant.