The effect of neutral sugar distribution on the dilute solution conformation of sugar beet pectin

A partially degraded sugar beet pectin (C) was found to be heterogeneous in composition with neutral sugar-rich fractions of both high and low hydrodynamic radii. A neutral sugar-poor fraction was found at intermediate hydrodynamic radii. In this paper we demonstrate using both conformation zoning and the global analysis method that fractions of sugar beet pectin rich in neutral sugar side chains (RG-I regions) are less flexible than those rich in galacturonic acid (HG regions).