Characterisation by 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy of oligosaccharides, derived from arabinoxylans of white endosperm of wheat, that contain the elements ----4)[alpha-L-Araf-(1----3)]-beta-D-Xylp-(1---- or ----4)[alpha- L-Araf-(1----2)][alpha-L-Araf-(1----3)]-beta-D-Xylp-(1----.

The structure of penta- to hepta-saccharides, generated by digestion of purified wheat-endosperm arabinoxylan with endo-(1----4)-beta-D-xylanase and isolated by gel-permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P-6 followed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, was established using monosaccharide and methylation analysis, f.a.b.-m.s., and 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The oligosaccharides had a core of (1----4)-linked beta-D-xylopyranosyl residues 3- or 2,3-substituted with single alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl groups, and gave 1H-n.m.r. spectra typical for each type.