Structural analysis of sulfated fucan from Saccharina japonica by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Desulfation of a fucoidan from Saccharina japonica by treatment with DMSO–MeOH resulted in partial degradation of polymeric molecules by methanolysis giving rise to a mixture of neutral, monosulfated, and disulfated fucooligosaccharides in the form of methyl glycosides. These oligomeric fragments were characterized by ESI-MS and ESI-CID-MS/MS. It was found that oligosaccharide structures coincided with the polysaccharide backbone built up mainly of (1→3)-linked fucose residues sulfated at positions 4 and 2.

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► A fucoidan from Saccharina japonica was partially degraded by solvolytic desulfation.
► Structures of the methyl glycosides were characterized by ESI-MS and ESI-CID-MS/MS.
► Structures of the mono- and disulfate methyl glycosides were characterized.