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Planta Med 1998; 64(7): 640-644
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957538
Paper
Phytochemical Analysis
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

High Molecular Weight Acidic Polysaccharides from Malva sylvestris and Alcea rosea

Birgit Classen, Wolfgang Blaschek
  • Pharmazeutisches Institut der Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Abteilung Pharmazeutische Biologie, Kiel, Germany
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Publication History

1997

1998

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Leaves and flowers of Malva sylvestris and Alcea rosea (Malvaceae) were compared by determination of the swelling index as well as the content and viscosity of their mucilages. The investigations showed mucilage from flowers of Alcea to be superior to mucilages from leaves or flowers from Malva. High molecular weight acidic polysaccharides (HMWAPs) were isolated from the mucilages of leaves and flowers of both species. The molecular weight of all HMWAPs was in a range of 1.3 to 1.6 × 106D. HMWAP-content in mucilage from flowers of Alcea was highest compared to content in mucilages from leaves or flowers from Malva. HMWAPs were found to be composed mainly of glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, rhamnose and galactose. Methylation analysis of the carboxyl-reduced and deuterium labeled sugar derivatives of HMWAPs from flowers of Malva sylvestris ssp. mauritiana and Alcea rosea enabled elucidation of the principal structural features of both polysaccharides.

Key words

Malva sylvestris - Alcea rosea - Malvaceae - mucilage - acidic polysaccharides - viscosity - polysaccharide structure