Characterization of two types of polysaccharides from Eremurus hissaricus roots growing in Tajikistan

Eremurus Hissaricus (E.hissaricus) is a native plant of Tajikistan that has been used in traditional medicine and whose raw components have been identified as having potential for the domestic economy. We have found that carbohydrates comprise 80-85% of the root biomass, from which we have characterized two types of polysaccharides: A water-soluble polysaccharide (WSP) and an acid-soluble polysaccharide (ASP), with 23% and 8% yields, respectively. The results from FTIR, HPAEC-PAD, HPSEC, methylation linkage analysis and NMR spectroscopy (H-1, C-13, zTOCSY, HSQC, HSQCTOXY and HMBC) demonstrated that WSP has a backbone of (1 -> 4)-linked beta-D-mannopyranosyl and beta-D-glucopyranosyl residues in a 1.5:1 M ratio, having acetylated groups, with weight-average molecular weights of 495 kDa. Analyses of ASP indicate that it is comprised of D-galactose, D-mannose, and D-glucose in a molar ratio of 1.8: 1.6: 1.0, which is consistent with a branched galactoglucomannan polysaccharide with (1 -> 4)-linked beta-pyranose configurations, and weight-average molecular weight of 179 kDa. The FTIR absorption bands in the region of 875-890 cm 1 and NMR spectroscopy data confirm the presence of beta-pyranose configuration of main polysaccharide backbone in the both ASP and WSP samples. These polysaccharides are an available raw material with the potential for use in a number of industrial applications.