OLIGOSACCHARIDES AS BUILDING-BLOCKS FOR GLYCOSYL CHAIN CONSTRUCTION - THEIR PREPARATION AND UTILIZATION

Cellobiose, N,N'-diacetylchitobiose, laminaribiose, and cyclodextrins were available through enzymic degradation of cellulose, chitin, curdlan, and starch, respectively. Several biologically important glycosyl chains were constructed using above three disaccharides as the building blocks or the starting materials. Through careful acetolysis after thorough pre-acetylation, cyclodextrins underwent the specific cleavage of only one glycosidic bond, giving the corresponding acyclic oligosaccharide peracetates, Icosa-O-acetylmaltohexaose obtained in this manner was regioselectively modified and then recycled to give novel cyclodextrins with new functions.