The Acid Sensitivity of Gulose and Mannose in Chemically-Reduced Alginates Obtained from Pseudomonas syringae

The chemical reduction of Pseudomonas syringae subsp. phaseolicola alginates produces neutral polymers of D-mannose and L-gulose in source specific ratios. L-Gulose was highly sensitive to degradation by 1N HCl at $100^{\circ}C$. As hydrolysis time increased, gulose recovery decreased to 22% after 4 hr, whereas 98% of the D-mannose was recovered under the same conditions. Thin layer chromatography showed the formation of a second product upon L-gulose acid hydrolysis. This new product had a rate of flow (Rf) value of 0.58, identical to that of 1,6 anhydro-${\beta}$-D-mannopyranose and very close to that of 1,6 anhydro-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranose (Rf=0.60). Because of the difference in acid sensitivity between L-gulose and D-mannose, normal acid hydrolytic techniques applied to reduced alginates produces erroneous mannuronic acid (M): guluronic acid (G) ratio's unless one accounts for the differential rates of destruction of each sugar.