Separation, purification and preliminary structure analysis of acidic polysaccharides from safflower

The crude water-soluble polysaccharide (SCP) was extracted from safflower by using hot water, and further fractioned by DEAE-52 anion exchange and Sephadex G-100 gel column chromatography to yield two acidic polysaccharides (SCP2 and SCP3). High-performance gel permeation chromatograph analysis showed that molecular weights (M (W)) of polysaccharides (SCP2 and SCP3) were 5, 860 and 9,330 Da, respectively. According to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography and chemical methods, SCP2 consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, glucose and galactose with a molar ratio of 2.93:11.19:33.68:3.48, while the primary sugar residues were (1 -> 2)-linked-rhamnopyranose, (1 -> 2)-linked and (1 -> 3)-linked-arabinofuranose, (1 -> 3)-linked-glucopyranose and (1 -> 2)-linked or (1 -> 6)-linked-galactopyranose. Likewise, SCP3 was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose in a molar ratio of 4.44:1.46:4.51:5.82:8.23:19.38, while the primary sugar residues were (1 -> 2)-linked-rhamnopyranose, (1 -> 2)-linked-xylofuranose, (1 -> 3)-linked-arabinofuranose, (1 -> 2)-linked or (1 -> 6)-linked-mannopyranose and glucopyranose, (1 -> 2)-linked or (1 -> 6)-linked or (1 -> 3)-linked-galactopyranose.