Fabaceae Polysaccharides. III. Galactomannan from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astragalus cicer</Emphasis> seeds

Seeds of Astragalus cicer L. (Fabaceae) afforded a galactomannan (5.90% yield of seed mass) of molecular weight 1064 kDa, solutions of which had high viscosity η] 925.5 mL/g and optical activity α]_D +71.9°. The galactomannan consisted of galactose and mannose units in a 1:1.39 ratio. Physicochemical methods established that the main chain of the polysaccharide consisted of 1,4-β-D-mannopyranose units substituted at 72% of the C-6 positions by single α-D-galactopyranose units. The content of variously substituted galactose mannobiose units Man–Man, (Gal)Man–Man/Man–Man(Gal) and (Gal)Man–Man(Gal) in the galactomannan were 18.7, 19.8, and 61.5%, respectively.