Separation and characterization of dextran extracted from deteriorated sugarcane

Area of Science:

• Carbohydrate Chemistry
• Biopolymer Science
• Agricultural Chemistry

Background:

• Dextran, a polysaccharide, has various applications.
• Sugarcane is a potential source for novel dextran extraction.
• Characterization of plant-derived polysaccharides is crucial for understanding their properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extract and purify dextran from deteriorated sugarcane.
• To elucidate the detailed structure and properties of sugarcane dextran (SC-Dex).
• To investigate the potential of sugarcane as a source for biopolymer production.

Main Methods:

• Alcohol precipitation and gel filtration chromatography for dextran extraction and purification.
• Acid hydrolysis, enzymatic degradation, NMR spectroscopy (1D and 2D), GC-MS, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for structural elucidation.
• HPSEC-MALLS-RI for molecular weight determination and surface morphology analysis.

Main Results:

• SC-Dex was identified as a branched polysaccharide composed solely of d-glucose residues.
• The main chain consists of α-(1-6) linkages with α-(1-3) branches, with a branching degree of 4.37%.
• MALDI-TOF confirmed d-glucose as the repeat unit, HPSEC-MALLS-RI determined an average molecular weight of 1.753×10^6 g/mol, and porous spherical structures were observed.

Conclusions:

• Sugarcane is a viable source for extracting structurally characterized dextran.
• SC-Dex possesses a unique branched structure and significant molecular weight.
• The findings contribute to the understanding of plant-derived polysaccharides and their potential applications.