Studies on sulphuric esters of carbohydrates

Abstract

A great many polysaccharides are known to occur in nature in the form of sulphuric acid esters. To give but two classes of such compounds we have (a) some of the gel-forming carbohydrates from various algae, particularly marine algae. (b) many of the gluco-proteins are protein derivatives of complex substances which are essentially sulphuric acid esters.In the former class the sulphuric acid ester is usually soluble and can be extracted from the algae by treatment with cold or hot water. In some cases extraction is carried out by cold dilute acids or by cold dilute alkali.Only a few of these gel-forming carbohydrates have been subjected to any detailed investigations. In the few cases that have been the subject of re search the results are of an extremely vague nature and rather inconclusive due to the experimental difficulties involved.