Specificity of β-Mannanase from Penicillium purpurogenum for Konjac Glucomannan

Abstract

We isolated seven kinds of oligosaccharides from the hydrolysate of konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) glucomannan by a purified extracellular β-mannanase from Penicillium purpurogenum No. 618. These oligosaccharides were identified as M-M, G-M, G-M-M, M-G-M, G-G-M, M-G-M-M, and M-G-G-M; where G- and M- represent β-1,4-d-glucopyranosidic and β-l,4-d-manno-pyranosidic linkages, respectively. The mode of action of the mannanase on the glucomannan is discussed on the basis of the structure of the above oligosaccharides.