Comparison of the Methods for Determining Degree of Polymerization of Water-Insoluble β-1, 3-Glucans

摘要

Some representative methods, basing on periodate oxidation, arsenomolybdate colorimetry and enzymatic oxidation and resin separation of the glucitol formed by reduction of glucans, for the determination of number-average degree of polymerization of β-1, 3-glucans were applied to paramylon, pachyman and curdlan and the results compared with discussion of the characteristic feature of each technique. It was advised to perform a few different methods in parallel, but when a single method should be selected the microchemical technique by Yamaguchi and Makino is the most simple and reliable.