Synthesis and antifungal properties of 6-amino-6-deoxyinulin, a kind of precursors for facile chemical modifications of inulin

Inulin, a kind of abundant, water-soluble, renewable polysaccharide, is mainly extracted from such low-requirement crops as Jerusalem artichoke, chicory, and yacon. The objective of this study was to modify inulin at its primary hydroxyls to give 6-amino-6-deoxyinulin, allowing for the facile chemical manipulation of inulin to encourage the employment of this currently underutilized biodegradable and environmentally benign resource. Additionally, its antifungal properties against two strains of phytopathogens, Cladosporium cucumerinum (Ell.) et Arthur and Fusarium oxysporum sp. Cucumis sativus L., were also evaluated by hypha measurement in vitro and the inhibitory indices against these two fungi were 60.1% and 53.3% at 1000 μg/mL, respectively. Because 6-amino-6-deoxyinulin is easy to prepare and exhibits improved potential activities, this material may represent an attractive new platform for chemical modifications of inulin.