Ferulic acid is esterified to glucuronoarabinoxylans in pineapple cell walls

The ester-linkage of ferulic acid (mainly E) to polysaccharides in primary cell walls of pineapple fruit (Ananas comosus) (Bromeliaceae) was investiga ted by treating a cell-wall preparation with 'Driselase' which contains a m ixture of endo- and exo-glycanases, but no hydroxycinnamoyl esterase activi ty. The most abundant feruloyl oligosaccharide released was O-[5-O-(E-ferul oyl)-alpha -L-arabinofuranosyl](1 -->3)-O-beta -D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)-D-x ylopyranose (FAXX). This indicated that the ferulic acid is ester-linked to glucuronoarabinoxylans in the same way as in the primary walls of grasses and cereals (Poaceae). Glucuronoarabinoxylans are the major non-cellulosic polysaccharides in the pineapple cell walls. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.