Structure of Pectic Oligosaccharide (POS)

POS consists of 3-10 or up to 20 monosaccharide residues or even disaccharides, with low molecular weight. POS is formed by linking monosaccharide units through a glycosidic bond between the anomeric carbon of one sugar and any unmodified hydroxyl group in another monosaccharide. POS is linked to lipids and amino acids by way of O-glycosidic and N-glycosidic bonds to produce glycolipids and glycoproteins.

Fig.1 POS structure. (Zheng, et al., 2021)

POS can be generated from pectin by enzymatic hydrolysis, which selectively cleaves the glycosidic bonds of pectin into shorter chains of POS. POS has been demonstrated to have various bioactive properties, including antioxidant, prebiotic, and immunomodulatory properties. POS exerts significant identity in cell communication, inhibition of gastrointestinal pathogen adhesion, and stimulation of apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma cells.

POS Analysis Service at CD BioGlyco

Based on advanced technologies, CD BioGlyco provides various Oligosaccharide Analysis Services to meet the specific requirements of our global clients. Due to the complex chemical composition of pectin and the chemical alteration during POS production, the POS structure is complicated. The complex mixtures of POS are analyzed using high-sensibility and ability methods. Various analytical techniques have been used to determine the structure and chemical composition of POS originating from different pectin.

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

HPLC is at present the main analytical technique used for carbohydrates analysis.

• Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)

Complex mixtures of oligosaccharides are separated and analyzed efficiently by RP-HPLC.

• High-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC-PAD)

HPLC-PAD is used to analyze quantitatively after released by hydrolysis.

• Mass spectrometry (MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-MS (MALDI-MS)

MS and MALDI-MS are used to classify oligosaccharides degraded from pectin.

For example, we characterize POS obtained from citrus peel pectin. Our process is as follows:

Sample preparation: Preprocessing of citrus peel pectin samples.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of citrus peel pectin: Citrus peel POS is obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis.

Sample analysis:

• HPLC analysis: The identification of citrus peel pectic POSs is carried out by the previously mentioned HPLC chromatographic method to determine the composition of monosaccharides and analyze their molecular mass.
• LC/MS analysis: LC/MS is applied to determine the molecular mass distribution of the citrus peel pectic POSs from the analyzed complex mixture.

Fig.2 Characterization of POS obtained from citrus peel pectin. (CD BioGlyco)

Applications

• The characterization of POSs in terms of molecular mass and composition provided new information to the field of knowledge study of pectin.
• POSs have the potential for the development of new and innovative applications in the food and health industries, including their use as a component of food packaging films.

Advantages

• The exploitation of POSs from peel pectin offers a sustainable and cost-effective plan, which could potentially have health benefits.
• We handle all types of samples, ranging from highly purified material to crude extracts and environmental samples.
• We will process any number of samples, from in-depth analysis of a few dozen samples to high-throughput screening of up to thousands of samples.

CD BioGlycohas developed cutting-edge solutions with advanced technologies and experienced scientists. We are pleased to meet every specific technical or research requirement of our global clients. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

References:

1. Zheng, L.; et al. Elucidating the degradation pattern of a new cold-tolerant pectate lyase used for efficient preparation of pectin oligosaccharides. Bioresources and Bioprocessing. 2021, 8: 1-11.
2. Minzanova, S.T.; et al. Biological activity and pharmacological application of pectic polysaccharides: A review. Polymers. 2018, 10(12): 1407.
3. Pasarin, D.; et al. Characterization of pectin oligosaccharides obtained from citrus peel pectin. Fermentation. 2023, 9(3): 312.