Abstract:

The high performance gel permeation chromatographic (HPGPC) behaviors of four β-1,3/1,6-glucans (GF1, GF2, GF3, GF4) with different protein contents and one α-1,4/1,6-glucan (P100) from Grifola frondosa were examined with different concentrations of NaCl solution and pH values. The experimental results showed that the relative molecular mass (Mr) of the β-glucans sharply dropped as the NaCl concentration was less than 0.025 mol/L and then tended to be stable as the NaCl concentration was raised from 0.1 to 0.2 mol/L， the Mr increased quickly from pH 3 to 6, and then maintained stable from pH 6 to 9, but slightly increased as the pH value was higher than 9. However, the Mr of the α-1,4/1,6-glucan was slightly affected by either different concentrations of NaCl or different pH values. The β-glucan existed in a super-helix structure in aqueous solution, which could be influenced by the NaCl concentration and pH value. These factors led to the different molecular aggregation states, and the increase or decrease of the Mr of β-glucans, displaying a variety of HPGPC behaviors.

Key words: aggregation state, Grifola frondosa
, relative molecular mass, β-glucan, high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC)