Chemical studies on the polysaccharides of Salicornia brachiata.

A group of 12 polysaccharide extracts were prepared from the tips, stem and roots of an Indian halophyte Salicornia brachiata Roxb. obtained by sequential extractions with cold water (CW), hot water (HW), aqueous ammonium oxalate (OX) and aqueous sodium hydroxide (ALK) solutions. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that all the polysaccharide extract samples consisted primarily of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, galactose, glucose, whereas ribose and xylose were present only in some of the extracts. All the extracts exhibited low apparent viscosity (1.47-2.02 cP) and sulphate and contained no prominent toxic metal ions. Fucose was detected only in OX extract of the roots. These polysaccharides were found to be heterogeneous and highly branched (glycoside linkage analysis, size-exclusion chromatography, (13)C-NMR, FT-IR, circular dichroism and optical rotation data). Physico-chemical analyses of these polysaccharides including uronic acid, sulphate and protein contents were also carried out. This constitutes the first report on the profiling of Salicornia polysaccharides.

Cellulose contents of some abundant Indian seaweed species.

Crude cellulose as well as alpha- and beta-celluloses were estimated in thirty-four seaweed species of fifteen orders of Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta of Indian waters. The greatest yields of crude cellulose and a-cellulose were obtained from Chaetomorpha aerea (approx. 20.0% and 18.5%, respectively), and of beta-cellulose (approx. 3.1%) from Caulerpa imbricata. The lowest crude cellulose, and alpha-and beta-contents were recorded for the calcareous red alga Liagora indica (approx. 0.90%, 0.70% and 0.10%, respectively). There was little variation in cellulose content among the brown algae, while wide variations in the yields were found in the green and red algae. The present work contributes to the repertoire of 67 Indian seaweed species studied to now for their cellulose contents in our laboratory. The combined studies highlight that Chaetomorpha aerea, Acrosiphonia orientalis, Caulerpa taxifolia, Sargassum tenerrimum, Hydroclathrus clathratus and Gelidiella acerosa possess relatively high (> 10%) cellulose contents, which could be of potential utility.

Cellulose of Salicornia brachiata.

Cellulose was extracted from the roots, stems and stem tips of Salicornia brachiata Roxb. Each crude cellulose sample obtained was fractionated into alpha- and beta-celluloses. The yields of crude cellulose from the stems and stem tips were greatest and lowest, respectively, while the yields of alpha- and beta-celluloses were in the order, roots > stems > stem tips. The cellulose samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), solid state cross polarisation magic angle spinning carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (CP/MAS 13C NMR), X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The data were compared with those of the celluloses (predominantly alpha-cellulose) isolated from Whatman filter paper No. 4 (WFP).