Abstract
The influence of nitrogen availability on the chemical structure of agar polymers isolated fromGracilaria verrucosa strain G-16 was ascertained by sequential solvent extraction and carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) spectroscopy. Agar isolated fromG. verrucosa strain G-16 cultured under nitrogen limited conditions showed large non-polar components but produced spectra indicative of only minor amounts of methylation. These agars also produced spectra suggesting the presence of floridean starch. The nitrogen supplemented cultures ofG. verrucosa strain G-16 produced agars of a more polar nature (hot-water soluble) and contained little detectable starch. The data suggest that the higher gelling temperatures of agar from nitrogen limited plants is not due to markedly higher methylation. These data also suggest that nitrogen effects on agar content may not be as significant as previously thought.
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Chiles, T.C., Bird, K.T. & Koehn, F.E. Influence of nitrogen availability on agar-polysaccharides fromGracilaria verrucosa strain G-16: structural analysis by NMR spectroscopy. J Appl Phycol 1, 53–58 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003535
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003535