Isolation and structural characterization of a low-molecular-weight pectic polysaccharide SHPPB-1 isolated from sunflower heads

A novel low-molecular-weight pectic polysaccharide was isolated from sunflower heads that are a useless side product produced from sunflower oil processing. The low-molecular-weight pectic polysaccharide was purified by using an optimized four-step procedure and named as SHPPB-1. The molecular weight of SHPPB-1 is about 1.69× 10⁴ Da. Structure characterizations of SHPPB-1 by monosaccharide composition, methylation analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed that SHPPB-1 is consisted of 1,4-linked α-D-GalpA and 1,4-linked 2-OAc-5-COOMe-α-D-GalpA with rare α/β-D-Rhap, α/β-D-Manp, and α/β-D-GalpA. This was combined with NMR spectroscopic analysis to propose a structure of SHPPB-1 as: →4)-α/β-D-monosaccharide-(1→3)]-α-D-GalpA-(1→4)-2-OAc-5-COOMe-α-D-GalpA-(1→ .