Fructo-oligosaccharides from Urginea maritima

Fructo-oligosaccharides from red squill (Urginea maritima) were isolated by precipitation with methanol, GPC on Biogel P2/P4, and reversed-phase HPLC. Structures of the tri- and tetra-saccharides were verified by the reductive cleavage method. A tetrasaccharide that contained both (2-->1)- and (2-->6)-linked beta-D-Fru f residues was isolated. The higher fractions from GPC were analysed by the reductive cleavage method without prior purification by reversed-phase HPLC. The mode of biosynthesis of sinistrin is discussed.