Isolation, purification and structural characterization of an acetylated heteroglycan from the unripe fruits of Manilkara zapota L. Original Research Article

A water soluble polysaccharide isolated from the hot water extract of the unripe fruits of Manilkara zapota L. was found to consist of 3-O-acyl-l-rhamnose, l-arabinose, 3-O-acetyl-d-methyl galacturonate in a molar proportion of nearly 1:1:1. Structural investigation of the polysaccharide was carried out using total hydrolysis, methylation analysis; periodate oxidation followed by GLC–MS, and NMR experiments. On the basis of the above experiments it is concluded that the following repeating unit is present in the polysaccharide.