Single chain morphology and nanofiber-like aggregates of branched β-(1→3)-d-glucan in water/dimethylsulfoxide solution. (10th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Cong; Meng, Yan; Li, Sheng; Wu, Wenhua; Liu, Chuanjun; Xu, Xiaojuan; Zhang, Lina
• Is Part Of: Carbohydrate polymers. Volume 137(2016)
• Page Start: 287
• Page End: 294
• Publication Date: 2016-02-10
• Subjects: Branched polysaccharide -- Chain stiffness -- Self-assembly -- Hollow structure -- Nanofibers; Polysaccharides -- Periodicals; Polysaccharides -- Periodicals; Polysaccharides -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 547.78
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.10.090
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0144-8617

Abstract

Highlights: PR-CA was characterized to be a β-(1→3)-d -glucan with multiple branches. The chain stiffness of PR-CA in water was directly visualized by AFM and TEM. The aggregation behavior of PR-CA was studied in water/DMSO solutions. The branched PR-CA chains took parallel aggregation to form hollow nanofibers. Abstract: A polysaccharide coded as PR-CA was extracted from Polyporus rhinoceros and determined to be a β-(1→3)-d -glucan with multiple branches. The weight-average molecular weights ( M w ) of PR-CA in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and in water were determined with static light scattering (SLS) to be 3.57 × 10 5 and 1.79 × 10 7, indicating existence of the single chains in DMSO and co-existence of single chains and aggregates in water. Moreover, the stiffness of single chains of PR-CA in water was directly visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hollow structure of PR-CA nanofibers with width of 30–40 nm and length of ∼350 nm formed in the water/DMSO (9:1, v:v) was demonstrated by a fluorescent probe tetraphenylethylene (TPE) via aggregation-induced emission (AIE). The formation of PR-CA nanofibers was ascribed to the parallel aggregation of the extended PR-CA chains due to the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction. This work offered valuable results for promising applications of natural branched β-glucans in the biological fields of drug inclusion, delivery and disease diagnosis.