Structural characterization and gastroprotective property of a novel glucofructan from Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum.

Abstract A new polysaccharide with an estimated weight-average molar mass of 2.6 × 10 3 was isolated from Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum by hot water extraction, and purified by Sephacryl S-300 HR high-resolution chromatography. It was composed of d -fructose and d -glucose in 10:6 molar ratio, respectively. The structure of the glucofructan was investigated by chemical and spectroscopic methods, including methylation analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS). The results permitted the structure of the glucofructan to be written as α- d -Glc p -(1→1)-β- d -Fru f -(2→1)-{[α- d -Glc p -(1→6)-β- d -Fru f -(2→6)]-β- d -Fru f -(2→1)} 4 -β- d -Fru f -(2↔1)-α- d -Glc p . Results of the present study indicated that this new glucofructan exhibited significant gastroprotective property, using in vivo experimental models.