Partial characterization of reaction products formed by the degradation of hyaluronic acid with ascorbic acid

Abstract Hyaluronic acid was degraded with ascorbic acid at pH 3..3 for various periods of time. The extent of the degradation was measured by viscometry and by reduction of newly-generated reducing end groups with NaB 3 H 4 . Characterization of the products with respect to molecular weight distribution as well as the nature of the reducing terminal end groups showed that the degradation proceeded essentially by random cleavage of glycosidic bonds. The relative proportion of uronic acid and hexosamine end groups was determined, and it is concluded that hexosaminidic linkages were cleaved more easily than uronicidic bonds.