Examination of the Oligosaccharides isolated from Jute α-Cellulose

Abstract

IN a previous communication¹, it has been shown that a number of sugar residues, in addition to those reported earlier^2,3, can be identified in jute α-cellulose on modifying both the conventional hydrolytic procedure and the technique of developing the chromatogram. The nature of association among the various sugar components in jute cellulose has not so far been established, however. Das et al. ² claim to have isolated an oligosaccharide containing glucose, xylose and arabinose from the hydrolysate of jute α-cellulose with formic acid, whereas Adams and Bishop³ have failed to substantiate this result. The work now briefly described deals with the isolation of oligosaccharides from the incomplete hydrolytic products of jute α-cellulose after a mild treatment with sulphuric acid, and has the object of elucidating the mode of association of the different sugar components with the glucose unit of the cellulose chain.