Studies on protein–polysaccharides from pig laryngeal cartilage. Extraction and purification

Abstract

1. Protein–polysaccharides of chondroitin sulphate were extracted from fresh laryngeal cartilage at pH6·8 by two procedures. Procedure I consisted of brief low-speed homogenization in 0·15m (iso-osmotic) sodium acetate and procedure II consisted of longer homogenization followed by prolonged extraction in 10% calcium chloride solution. 2. The protein–polysaccharides in both extracts were isolated and purified by precipitation with 9-aminoacridine hydrochloride. They were free from serum proteins, collagen and nucleic acids and also of degradative enzymes. The absence of such enzymes was shown by viscosity measurements on solutions of protein–polysaccharides incubated for up to 24hr. at pH4 and 6·8. 3. Mannose, glucose or fucose were not detected by paper chromatography and only traces of sialic acid were present. 4. The yield with procedure II was twice that with procedure I and the products differed in their protein and glucosamine contents. 5. Hyaluronic acid was unlikely to have been precipitated at an acid pH, so the glucosamine was attributed to keratan sulphate, as serum proteins were absent. There was no free keratan sulphate in the preparation. 6. Both preparations were heterogeneous in the ultracentrifuge, showing at least three components.