The phosphatides of the latex of Hevea brasiliensis. 3. Carbohydrate and polyhydroxy constituents

Abstract

Paper-chromatographic examination has shown that latex lipid prepared by simple solvent extraction without special purification, contains (a) in a combined form[long dash]galactose, glucose, an unknown sugar (probably a ketose) and meso-inositol; and (b) as water-soluble impurities[long dash]glucose, fructose, mesoinositol, quebrachitol and (-)-inositol. The latter substances were all found to be present, in a free form, in a sample of latex serum. They were removed from the lipid by partition chromatography on cellulose or, less efficiently, by dialysis of an aqueous suspension. Partial hydrolysis of the purified lipid led to the formation of five substances which were separated by paper chromatography and which on further hydrolysis yielded glycerol and either mesoinositol or one or more of the above carbohydrates. This is regarded as giving strong evidence that both mesoinositol and carbohydrate are chemically combined in the lipid.