VEGETABLE IVORY AS A SOURCE OF A MANNAN POLYSACCHARIDE

Native vegetable ivory has been found to contain in addition to the mannose also glucose residues together with minor amounts of galactose, arabinose, xylose, and rhamnose units. No pectin could be detected. The native material was very non-uniform and was composed of two major portions (mannans A and B) which differed considerably in their average molecular weight and polymolecularity. Alkaline extraction of the untreated product followed by purification via the copper complex offers the best means for obtaining a pure mannan polysaccharide.