Abstract: | A water-soluble polysaccharide was isolated from the aqueous extract of the stem of Lagenaria siceraria. The polysaccharide was found to be constituted of methyl d-galacturonate, 2-O-methyl-D-xylose, and d-xylose in a ratio of 1:1:1. On the basis of total acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, periodate oxidation, NMR studies ((1)H, (13)C, 2D-COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC), and MALDI-TOF MS analysis, the structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide is determined as. |