'Turkish Journal of Agricultural Research (TUTAD)'
Abstract
In the Trás-os-Montes region, the use of infusions of Fraxinus angustifolia dried leaves as a protection against high levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and uric acid is widespread. Pectic polysaccharides isolated from the infusions of some medicinal plants have been reported as biologically active [1,2]. Pectic poly-saccharides have been described as structurally complex polymers, exhibiting different polymeric building blocks: homogalacturonans (HG), rhamnogalacturonans-I (RG-I), rhamnogalacturonans-II (RG-II) and xylogalacturonans (XG) [3]. The backbone of RG-I can be partly substituted with various side chains, such as arabinans, type-I and type-II arabinogalactans (AG-I and AG-II). The aim of this work is to provide a first insight of the nature of the pectic polysaccharides present in the infusions of F. angustifolia dried leaves
