CONSTITUTION OF THE HEMICELLULOSE FROM MESTA FIBER (HIBISCUS CANNABINUS)

Abstract

The chlorite holocellulose of mesta fiber (Hibiscus cannabinus) was extracted with alkaline solutions of successively increasing concentration and finally with alkaline borate solution. Hemicellulose fractions (I–IV) were thus obtained. Analytical data are recorded for each fraction.Partial acid hydrolysis of the mesta hemicellulose gave 2-O-(4-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid)-D-xylopyranose. Methanolysis and hydrolysis of the fully methylated hemicellulose (fraction II) gave a mixture of 3-O-methyl-D-xylose, 2,3-di-O-methyl-D-xylose, 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-D-xylose, and 2-O-(2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid)-3-O-methyl-D-xylopyranose in the approximate molar ratio of 1.6:34:1:6.4. The number-average molecular weight of the methylated polysaccharide was 18,400 ± 500 (degree of polymerization, 110 ± 3). The number-average molecular weight of the original hemicellulose (fraction II) was found to be 23,000 ± 500 (degree of polymerization, 164 ± 3). On the basis of this and other evidences it is suggested that the polysaccharide is composed of chains of 144 (1 → 4)-linked β-D-xylopyranose residues having approximately every seventh residue carrying a terminal 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronic acid residue linked through position 2. A small degree of branching in the backbone of D-xylose is indicated.