Cereal Chem 65:291-297   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Water-Soluble Pentosans from Rye: I. Isolation, Partial Purification, and Characterization.

A. I. Fengler and R. R. Marquardt. Copyright 1988 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

The objectives of the study were to isolate, identify, and partially characterize the highly viscous factor in rye. This factor, which was previously implicated by its effects on the nutritional value of rye, was shown to be located in the endosperm of the seed and was relatively stable when extracted at a neutral pH from heat- treated flour. The active component was a water-soluble, highly viscous, pentosan-rich compound. The purified fraction contained 79% pentoses with a xylose-to-arabinose ratio of 62 to 38. The isolate also had traces of minerals and protein (N x 5.7) and 10% glucose-containing carbohydrates. The content of water- soluble pentosans and the viscosity factor were much greater in rye flour (endosperm) than that found in wheat or triticale flour.