Study of a novel labelled scleroglucan macromolecule

A fast and rapid chemical reaction is presented here for labelling the polysaccharide scleroglucan with iodine to simplify its detection. The conditions proposed for the chemical reaction (temperature, concentrations of reactants and pH) were selected so as to substitute only a few of the OH groups in the polymer. The quantification of the labelled macromolecule is possible by radioactivity or Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence techniques, depending on the iodine isotope used. Both techniques were adjusted for their use in labelled (with 127I or 131I) scleroglucan solutions. arison of the molecular weight distribution and the viscosity between solutions of the labelled product and the original one is performed and no major differences were found.