Studies on the Chemical Constitution of Agar-agar. XX. Isolation of a Tetrasaccharide by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Agar-agar

Abstract 1. A tetrasaccharide, forming a crystalline tetrahydrate, has been isolated from the products of enzymatic hydrolysis of agar. Its fully acetylated and methylated derivatives have also been obtained as crystals. 2. Identification of both monosaccharide and disacharide constituents has led to the assignment of the structure, O-3,6-anhydro-α-l-galactopyranosly-(1→3)-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-3,6-anhydro-α-l-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-d-garactose, to the tetrasaccharide isolated. The structure has been supported also by methylation data. 3. The tetrasaccharide has been termed neoagarotetraose, based on the general nomenclature suggested for oligosaccharides derived from agarose and a similar polysaccharide. 4. A probable course has been assumed for the enzymatic degradation of agarose.