Ij. Miller et al., VARIATIONS IN THE CONSTITUENT SUGARS OF THE POLYSACCHARIDES FROM NEW-ZEALAND SPECIES OF PACHYMENIA (HALYMENIACEAE), Botanica marina, 40(2), 1997, pp. 119-127
The nature of the polysaccharides from samples of Pachymenia lusoria,
P. laciniata, and P. crassa, together with a sample of P. carnosa for
comparison, was examined by means of constituent sugar analyses and C-
13 NMR spectroscopy. We determined that individual P. lusoria extracts
were not readily fractionated into distinct chemical entities, and th
at the polysaccharides from gametophytic and tetrasporophytic samples
of P. lusoria from one site were indistinguishable. Samples of P. luso
ria from seven different southern New Zealand locations gave almost id
entical polysaccharides (with 2-6% 2-O-methylgalactose) despite being
collected at different times of the year and from locations with diffe
rent environments. Samples from northern and western waters gave extra
cts with distinct chemical differences (e.g. 12-17% 2-O-methylgalactos
e) which may fall into two subsets. This suggests that P. lusoria may
encompass more than one species. A sample identified as 19 laciniata w
as collected from each of two of these geographical areas. The resulta
nt polysaccharides were different from each other, but identical to th
e extract from Ii lusoria from the corresponding location. No evidence
was obtained to support the existence of a northern species previousl
y described as P. himantophora, which was reported to contain non-meth
ylated polysaccharide similar to xi-carrageenan.