The chromatographic behaviour of a series of fructo- oligosaccharides derived from levan produced by the fermentation of sucrose by Zymomonas mobilis

Levan, a (2→6)-β-d-fructofuransyl linear polysaccharide has been produced by fermentation of sucrose by Zymomonas mobilis. Complete hydrolysis of levan and HPLC analysis have shown that the molecular weight of the polymer is in the order of 106 daltons. Mild acid hydrolysis of levan produced a series of (2→6)-β-d-fructofuransyl oligosaccharides of up to DP 14, which were resolved by GPC on Bio-Gel P2.

The elution positions of these oligosaccharides were different from those of (1→4)-α-d- and (2→6)-β-d-fructofuransyl oligosaccharides but similar to those of (1→4)-α-d-glucoprynasol oligosaccharides. These differences have been explained in terms of anomeric configuration for each series of oligosaccharides.