Abstract:The seeds of Sophora alopecuroides L, contained 12.8 per cent of endosperm, from which the water-soluble polysaccharide gum was isolated and purified by fractionation with alcohol three times. Hydrolysis of the polysacchatides with sulphuric acid produced galactose and mannose in the molar ratio of 1:2.37, as determined by the phenolsulphuric acid method and by paper chromatographic method. The total sugar content reached 67-70%. The polysaccharides, after complete hydrolysis, reduction with NaBH4 and acetylation, ridded acetates. An analysis on them by gas-chromatography showed that they contained galactose and mannose in the molar ratio of 1:1.83, and the total sugar content reached 56%. In order to identify the linkages of the polysaccharides isolated from the seeds of Sophora alopecuroides, they were methylated by using the methods of Hokomori, Conval and Albersheim. The fully methylated polysaccharides were hydrolyzed and then reduced with NaBH4, followed by acetylation. Finally they yielded acetates. An analysis on IR data, the results of acid hydrolysis, periodate oxidation and Smith type degradation, as well as the acetates by GC, GC-MS and 1HNMR showed that the linkages of Sophora alopecuroides. gum may be, The purified polysaccharides seem to be homogenous after ultracentrifugation analysis. The sedimentation coefficient of the gum obtained from repeated purification with alcohol was 5.31, its intrinsic viscosity was 6.25 dl/g and its molecular weight was estimated to be 635000. By the light-scattering method, however, its molecular weight was estimated to be 715000. The crude polysacchafides contained 44 per cent of the water-soluble polysaccharides.