Preparation of cellooligosaccharides: Comparative study

Author: Ozlem Akpinar ^1* and Michael H. Penner ²

Received 7 October 2007, accepted 13 December 2007.

Abstract

Cellooligosaccharides having a specific degree of polymerization are commonly used in mechanistic studies of cellulolytic enzymes and since they are not hydrolyzed or absorbed by the human gastrointestinal tract, (non-digestible oligosaccharides) they may have potential as non-caloric bulking agents in food products. Considering the heavy demand for cellooligosaccharides in many cellulase/cellulose laboratories, many methods were developed for the separation of cellooligosaccharides. They are typically produced by the controlled hydrolysis of cellulose, which produces a mixture of cellooligosaccharides differing with respect to their degree of polymerization, followed by chromatographic fractionation to obtain preparations homogeneous with respect to degree of polymerization. This research summarizes a comparative study of suggested fractionation methods. Charcoal-celite adsorption, molecular exclusion and ion-mediated silica and cellulose affinity/partition chromatography were evaluated. Adsorption chromatography with charcoal-celite stationary phases was the most generally applicable method for the preparation of near gram quantities of pure cellooligosaccharides in the DP range of three to seven. Cellulose affinity/partition chromatography was found to be the least time consuming and most economical method for the preparation of cellotetraose and cellopentaose. Ion-mediated chromatography was the most readily applicable for analytical applications.

Key words: Cellooligosaccharides, cellodextrin, cellulose, fractionation, prebiotics.