THE WATER-SOLUBLE POLYSACCHARIDES OF DERMATOPHYTES: III. A GALACTOMANNAN FROM TRICHOPHYTON INTERDIGITALE

Abstract

The water-soluble polysaccharide preparation from Trichophytoninterdigitale was fractionated to give two distinct galactomannans and a glucan. A galactomannan isolated via its insoluble copper complex had [α]D +75° (water) and was composed of D-galactose (12%) and D-mannose (88%). On periodate oxidation, the galactomannan consumed 1.73 mole periodate and released 0.67 mole formic acid and 0.12 mole formaldehyde per anhydrohexose unit. Hydrolysis of the methylated galactomannan gave 2,3,5,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-galactose (1 part), 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-mannose (1 part), 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-D-mannose (4 parts), and3,4-di-O-methyl-D-mannose (2 parts). Mild acid hydrolysis of the galactomannan removed all the galactose residues, leaving a mannan having [α]D +84° (water) whose structure was analyzed by periodate oxidation and methylation techniques.