Comparison of chemical fractionation method and H-1-NMR spectroscopy in measuring the monomer block distribution of algal alginates

Moral C. K., Doğan Ö., Sanin F. D.

JOURNAL OF POLYMER ENGINEERING, vol.33, pp.239-246, 2013 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 33
  • Publication Date: 2013
  • Doi Number: 10.1515/polyeng-2012-0066
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF POLYMER ENGINEERING
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.239-246
  • Keywords: alginate, chemical fractionation, H-1-NMR spectroscopy, monomer distribution, BACTERIAL ALGINATE, ACID, SEQUENCE, IR, RAMAN
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Alginates are composed of beta-D-mannuronic acid (M) and alpha-L-guluronic acid (G). In this study, block distributions of alginate samples were measured by a chemical fractionation method and H-1-NMR spectroscopy, to compare the usefulness of the two methods. Block distribution results obtained from the two methods were found to be statistically different from each other; the chemical fractionation method gave consistently lower estimates for the amount of homopolymeric blocks. The repeatability of the results was also lower in the chemical fractionation method. By contrast, H-1-NMR spectroscopy was found to be a reproducible and a faster method for determining the distribution of monomeric blocks in alginates.