ESIMS analysis of fucoidan preparations from Costaria costata, extracted from alga at different life-stages.

Four fucoidan fractions from brown alga Costaria costata, collected at different life-stages: vegetative, May (5F2 and 5F3) and generative, July (7F1 and 7F2) collections were characterized. It was found that seaweed synthesizes different set of fucoidans - one with high fucose content and substantial percentage of hexoses and uronic acid and lower sulfate content (7F1, 5F2 and 5F3) and other - highly sulfated galactofucan (7F2). Structural features of fractions 7F2 and 5F3 were predominantly determined by mass spectrometric analysis of low-molecular-weight (LMW) oligosaccharide fragments, obtained by autohydrolysis of 7F2 and mild acid hydrolysis of 5F3 fucoidans. It was found that oligosaccharides from 7F2 fractions were mainly built up of sulfated at C-2 and/or at C-2/C-4 (1→3)-linked α-l-fucopyranose residues. d-Galactose residues, sulfated either at C-2 or C-6, were found as parts of mixed di- and trisaccharides at both termini and, probably, internal. Fucose residues in 5F3 fucoidan fragments were sulfated at C-2 and sometimes at C-4. Galactose residues were sulfated at C-4 and less frequently at C-2. Resistant to hydrolysis fraction was probably a core, built up with fucose, mannose and glucuronic acid. Presumably, oligosaccharide fragments were branches at C-4 of GlcA. They were sulfated at C-2 and sometimes at C-4 (1→3)- and/or (1→4)-linked fucooligosaccharides (sometimes terminated with (1→3)-linked galactose) and sulfated at C-4 or C-2 (1→4)- or, probably, (1→6)-linked galactooligosaccharides, probably, with own branches, formed by (1→2)-linked galactose residues. Unsulfated xylose residues were probably terminal in chains built up of fucose. It was confirmed, that monosaccharide content and structure of fucoidans of vegetative algae changed following its life stage. Generative alga in general produced highly sulfated galactofucan having lower MW along with less sulfated mannoglucuronofucan with higher MW, which was extensively synthesized by vegetative algae.