The sodium hydroxide-soluble polysaccharides extracted from bright tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, Delhi 76) were fractionated successfully by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose (CO²₃-), (acetate), and (PO³₄-) columns and finally by copper complexing to yield a xylan. Acid hydrolysis of the xylan produced arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, and xylose in molar proportions of 1 : 1.3 : 3.8 : 0.2 : 17.3. Sedimentation data indicated that the xylan was ~70% pure. Metylation studies showed that it was composed of a linear chain of β-(1-4)-linked D-xylopyransosyl units.

(Full article published with kind permission from "Tobacco International")