Studies on apple protopectin. III: Characterization of the material extracted by pure polysaccharidases from apple cell walls

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 1991, Vol.15 (1), p.13-32
• Main Authors: Renard, C.M.G.C., Schols, H.A., Voragen, A.G.J., Thibault, J.-F., Pilnik, W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Natural polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Starch and polysaccharides
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/0144-8617(91)90016-6

Plant cell walls contain polymers with complex and badly understood interactions that can be studied by enzymic extraction. Apple cell wall material, partially depectinated by a chelating agent, was treated with pure polysaccharidases (pectin-lyase, polygalacturonase, pectinesterase, endo-β-(1,4)-glucanases, exo-β-(1,4)-glucanase, endo-α-(1,5)-arabinanase, arabinofuranosidase, endo-β-(1,4)-galactanase and endo-β-(1,4)-xylanase) and combinations of these enzymes. Glucanases, arabinanases and galactanase extracted neutral oligomers. Enzyme formulations active on highly methylated pectins freed galacturonate oligomers and high-molecular-weight material. Addition of endo-β-(1,4)-glucanase to these enzyme formulations increased the amounts of high-molecular-weight material in the extracts. One of the endo-β-(1,4)-glucanases had a more marked action. The high-molecular-weight material was rich in neutral sugars, notably arabinose and galactose, and was degraded to a large extent by arabinanases and galactanase. The results were analysed by principal component analysis.