Microwave promoted methylation of plant polysaccharides

O-Methylation is of outstanding importance in structural polysaccharide chemistry. A novel method for the methylation of polysaccharides using microwave (MW) irradiation is described. Seed gum from Cyamopsis tetragonolobus (Guar) was fully methylated with dimethyl sulphate and sodium hydroxide using 100% microwave power for 4 min in 68% yield. The completely methylated seed gum thus obtained was hydrolyzed by 70% formic acid followed by 0.5N H₂SO₄ under full microwave power for 1.16 and 1.66 min, respectively. The partially methylated monosaccharides were separated and identified.     

Palladium(II) complexes of the reducing sugars D-arabinose,D-ribose,rac-mannose,and D-galactose

The cellulose solvent Pd-en, an aqueous solution of [(en)Pd(II)(OH)(2)] (en=ethylenediamine), reacts with the monosaccharides D-arabinose (D-Ara), D-ribose (D-Rib), rac-mannose (rac-Man), and D-galactose (D-Gal) under formation of dimetalated aldose complexes, if the molar ratio of Pd and sugar is 2:1 or larger. In the Pd(2) complexes, the aldoses are tetra-deprotonated and act as bisdiolato ligands. Two crystalline pentose complexes were isolated: [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-D-Arap1,2,3,4 H(-4))].5 H(2)O (1) and [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-D-Ribp1,2,3,4 H(-4))].6.5 H(2)O (2), along with two hexose complexes. With rac-Man, the major solution species is crystallized as the 9.4-hydrate [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-rac-Manp1,2,3,4 H(-4))].9.4 H(2)O (3). From the respective D-Gal solutions, [(en)(2)Pd(2)(beta-D-Galf1,3,5,6 H(-4))].5 H(2)O.C(2)H(5)OH (4), with the sugar tetraanion in its furanose form, is crystallized though it is not the major species, rather the second most abundant in purely aqueous solutions. The Galf species is enriched in the mother liquors to the extent of 25 % of total sugar content. Substitution of the en ligand by two molecules of ammonia, methylamine, or isopropylamine, respectively, results in the formation of different solution species. With the bulkiest ligand, isopropylamine, monometalation of the aldoses in the 1,2-position is exclusively observed.     

Hydrosilylation of allyl esters of monosaccharides

By hydrosilylation of 1-O-allyl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranose and 1-O-allyl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactopyranose with 1,3-bis(dimethylsilyl)-2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclodisilazane in the presence of the catalyst Co₂(CO)₈, we have obtained 1,3-di[3-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)propyldimethylsilyl]-2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclodisilazane and 1,3-di[3-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactopyranosyloxy)propyldimethylsilyl]-2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclodisilazane. By deacetylation, we obtained 1,3-di[3-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)propyldimethylsilyl]-2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclodisilazane. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 12, pp. 1859–1862, December, 2005.     

Application of accelerated heteronuclear single quantum coherence experiments to the rapid quantification of monosaccharides and disaccharides in dairy products

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are important dietary components, but if insufficiently metabolized by some population subgroups, they are also linked to disease patterns. Thus, the correct analytical identification, quantification, and labeling of these food components are crucial to inform and potentially protect consumers. Enzymatic assays and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection are established methods for the quantification of monosaccharides and disaccharides that, however, require long measuring times (60–180 min). Accelerated methods for the identification and quantification of the nutritionally relevant monosaccharides and disaccharides d -glucose, d -galactose, d -fructose, sucrose, lactose, and maltose were therefore developed. To realize this goal, the NMR experiments HSQC (heteronuclear single quantum coherence) and acceleration by sharing adjacent polarization (ASAP)-HSQC were applied. Measurement times were reduced to 27 and 6 min, respectively, by optimizing the interscan delay and applying non-uniform sampling. The optimized methods were used to quantify d -glucose, d -galactose, d -fructose, sucrose, and lactose in various dairy products. Results of the HSQC and ASAP-HSQC methods are equivalent to the results of the reference methods in terms of both precision and accuracy, demonstrating that these methods can be used to correctly analyze nutritionally relevant monosaccharides and disaccharides in short times.     

Monosaccharides as silicon chelators: pentacoordinate bis(diolato)(phenyl)silicates with the cis-furanose isomers of common pentoses and hexoses

Five-coordinate phenylsilicates are formed from the reaction of trimethoxy(phenyl)silane with monosaccharides in methanol in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of base. Five complexes have been isolated and characterized with two ketoses and three aldopentoses. The silicon central atom in [K([18]crown-6)][PhSi(beta-D-Fruf 2,3H-2)2].MeOH (1, Fru=fructose) is part of two chelate rings, with the ligands being beta-D-fructofuranose-O2,O3 dianions. The beta-furanose isomer is best suited for silicon ligation because it exhibits a torsion angle close to 0 degrees for the most acidic diol function, thus assuring a flat chelate ring. The same structural principles are also found in [K([18]crown-6)][PhSi(beta-D-Araf1,2H-2)2].2 MeOH (2, Ara=arabinose), [K([18]crown-6)][PhSi(alpha-D-Ribf1,2H-2)2] (3, Rib=ribose), [K([18]crown-6)][PhSi(alpha-D-Xylf1,2H-2)2]. acetone (4, Xyl=xylose), and [K([18]crown-6)][PhSi(alpha-D-Rulf2,3H-2)2] (5, Rul=ribulose).     

Thermodynamics of alcohols and monosaccharides in aqueous solutions of thiourea at 25°C

The excess enthalpies of twelve ternary aqueous solutions of alcohols or monosaccharides containing thiourea have been determined by flow microcalorimetry at 25°C. The coefficients of the virial expansion of the excess enthalpies are compared with those reported in the literature for the same ternary solutions containing urea in place of thiourea. The cross-interaction coefficients are positive for the thiourea-alcohol systems and depend on the length and branching of the alkyl chain of the alcohols. On the other hand, they are negative for the thiourea-monosaccharide systems. Thus, thiourea, as urea, can be used as a probe to reveal differences in the behavior of families of solutes characterized by the same functional groups. The results can be interpreted in terms of the relative stabilities of hydration cospheres of hydrophobic or hydrophilic solutes toward a chaotropic agent such as thiourea.Presented at the sixth Italian meeting on Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis (AICAT) held in Naples, December 4–7, 1984.     

A Facile Latex Agglutination Lectin Assay (LALA) for Weakly Binding Ligands

To apply the latex agglutination lectin assay (LALA) to carbohydrate ligands, monosaccharide derivatives were incorporated onto latex beads by various methods, and the usefulness of the resulting beads was evaluated. The best outcome, which resulted in aggregation with lectin concentrations of 1 to 4 μg/mL, was obtained when latex beads coated with bovine serum albumin were treated with divinylsulfone, a linker agent, and then with 2-aminoethyl glycosides. Monosaccharides with an amino or anomeric hydroxyl group other than N-acetylglucosamine were applicable in this direct LALA. For example, mannose- and 5-thiomannose-coupled latex beads showed aggregation with minimum concanavalin (ConA) concentrations of 4 and 32 μg/mL, respectively. An inhibition assay was more versatile than the direct LALA, and the standardized inhibition activity (EC⁰ ₅₀) was determined for several compounds. Representative EC⁰ ₅₀ data for mannose, methyl mannoside, and p-nitrophenyl mannoside (1, 0.12, and 0.06 mM, respectively) are consistent with those reported with other methods. We obtained EC⁰ ₅₀ values for some synthetic compounds with slightly different binding abilities to ConA, demonstrating a semiquantitative character of this method. The inhibition LALA can be performed without instrumentation or tedious derivatization and is thus suitable for the rapid evaluation of monovalent ligands prior to assemblage into multivalent ligands.     

Thermodynamics of alcohols and monosaccharides in aqueous solutions of biuret at 25°C

The excess enthalpies of ternary aqueous solutions of biuret with four aliphatic alcohols or four isomeric pentoses have been determined by flow microcalorimetry at 25°C. The coefficients of the virial expansion of the excess enthalpies have been evaluated and compared with those already reported for urea and thiourea with the same alcohols and pentoses used here. For biuret-alcohol systems, the cross coefficients are positive and depend on the length and branching of the alkyl chain of the alcohols. On the contrary, they are negative for biuret-pentose systems. Hence, biuret, as urea and thioura, is able to differentiate the behavior of families of solutes characterized by the same functional groups. The results are interpreted in terms of the relative stabilities of the hydration cospheres of predominantly hydrophobic or predominantly hydrophilic cosolutes. However, hypotheses about the hydration cospheres of the saccharides, which are more complex than those used previously, seem to be necessary to rationalize their complete behavior in water.     

Capillary Electrophoretic Identification of Commercial Gelling Agents

Gelling agents based on polysaccharides have become extremely important in the food industry. As more and more products like soups and sauces have become available in lyophilized form, thickeners have to be added to give a controlled consistency to the finished meal. A capillary electrophoretic method has been developed to investigate the monosaccharide composition of hydrolyzed thickeners. 2-Aminoanthracene was used as a derivatization reagent to allow sensitive fluorescence detection. This system was applied to a set of standard thickeners as well as to food samples.