Isolation and purification of feruloylated oligosaccharides from cell walls of sugar-beet pulp

Cell walls from sugar-beet pulp contain some feruloyl groups linked to the pectic neutral side-chains. Enzymic as well as chemical hydrolysis of the pulp yielded a series of feruloylated oligosaccharides, which have been purified by Sephadex LH-20 and Biogel P-2 chromatography in aqueous solvents. Feruloylated arabinose di-, tri-, hexa-, hepta-, and octa-saccharides as well as feruloylated galactose disaccharides were obtained after hydrolysis of the pulp with a mixture of fungal carbohydrases (Driselase). Feruloylated arabinose and galactose monosaccharides were obtained through mild acid hydrolyses. Both arabinose and galactose residues in the side-chains are feruloylated, 50-55% of the feruloyl groups being linked to arabinose residues and 45-50% to galactose residues. It is concluded that 1 out of 56 arabinose residues and 1 out of 16 galactose residues present as pectic side-chains in sugar-beet pulp carry a feruloyl group.