Partial elucidation of the chemical structure of aminoglucanoligosaccharides (AGO's) produced enzymatically

The aim of this work was the application of purified chitinolytic enzyme from Cellulosimicrobium cellulans 191 and the commercial papain in the hydrolysis of colloidal chitin. The latter was characterized with regard to the degree deacetylation (GD), with a GD of 14% being obtained using infrared spectroscopy. The purified chitinase hydrolysed the colloidal chitin and formed di-N-acetylchitobiose, while the commercial papain acting on the same substrate formed di-N-acetylchitobiose and tri-N-acetylchitotriose. The aminoglucanoligosaccharides chemical structure was elucidated by mass spectrometry.

Chitinase; papain; aminoglucanoligosaccharides; colloidal chitin; mass spectrometry

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