Quantitation of 4-O-methylglucuronic acid from plant cell walls

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2013-01, Vol.91 (2), p.626-630
• Main Authors: Chong, Sun-Li, Koutaniemi, Sanna, Virkki, Liisa, Pynnönen, Henna, Tuomainen, Päivi, Tenkanen, Maija
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (4-O-methyl)-α-d-glucuronic acid; Acid methanolysis; Applied sciences; Arabidopsis - chemistry; Arabidopsis thaliana; Betula; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Wall - chemistry; cell walls; Chemical constitution; Chromatography, Gas - standards; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas chromatography; Glucuronates - analysis; glycosides; HPAEC-PAD; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; methanolysis; Natural polymers; NMR; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Physicochemistry of polymers; Plant Cells - chemistry; Plant physiology and development; Plant Stems - chemistry; Reference Standards; Starch and polysaccharides; stems; uronic acids; wheat straw; wood; Wood - chemistry; Xylan
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.08.078

► The 4-O-methyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl uronic acid (meGlcA) was purified from commercial birch xylan. ► meGlcA content was underestimated if glucopyranosyl uronic acid (GlcA) was used as calibration standard in GC or HPAEC-PAD. ► A method for better estimation of meGlcA content derived from acid methanolysis and GC analysis is suggested. The accuracy of commercial α-d-glucopyranosyl uronic acid (GlcA) as a calibration standard for the determination of the 4-O-methyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl uronic acid (meGlcA) content in plant materials was studied. A batch of meGlcA standard was purified from commercial birch xylan and quantified using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Both commercial GlcA and the purified meGlcA were used as standards for the quantitation of meGlcA in Arabidopsis thaliana stems, as well as wood and wheat straw samples using acid methanolysis and gas chromatography (GC). The GlcA standard was partially lactonized during acid methanolysis, thus yielding six glycoside peaks in GC. If all six GlcA-derived peaks were included in the GlcA calibration curve, the calculated meGlcA content was underestimated by 30% compared with that obtained using the purified meGlcA as a standard. The meGlcA content was best estimated by including either the two main GlcA peaks or only peaks corresponding to pyranosides and furanosides of GlcA in the calibration curve.