CRITICAL CONCENTRATIONS OF α(1→3)-D-GLUCAN FROM LENTINUS EDODES IN NaOH AQUEOUS SOLUTION

Critical concentrations of α-(1→3)-D-glucan L-FV-Ⅱ from Lentinus edodes were studied by viscometry andfluorescence probe techniques. The dependence of the reduced viscosity on concentration of the glucan in 0.5 mol/L NaOHaqueous solutions with or without urea showed two turning points corresponding to the dynamic contact concentration c_s andthe overlap concentration c~* of the polymer. The values of c_s and c~* were found to be 1×10~(-3) g cm~(-3) and 1.1×10~(-2) g cm~(-3),respectively, for L-FV-Ⅱ in 0.5 mol/L NaOH aqueous solutions. The two critical concentrations of L-FV-Ⅱ in 0.5 mol/LNaOH aqueous solutions were also found to be 1.2×10~(-3) g cm~(-3) fbr c_s and 9.2×10~(-3) g cm~(-3) for c~* from the concentrationdependence of phenanthrene fluorescence intensities. The overlap concentration c~* of L-FV-Ⅱ in 0.5 mol/L NaOH aqueoussolutions was lower than that of polystyrene with same molecular weight in benzene, owing to the fact that polysaccharidetends to undergo aggregation caused by intermolecular hydrogen bonding. A normal viscosity behavior of L-FV-Ⅱ in 0.5 mol/L urea/0.5 mol/L NaOH aqueous solutions can still be observed in an extremely low concentration range at 25℃.