SUMMARYFructopolysaccharide (asparagosin, fructan) was prepared from an extract of asparagus roots by chromatography on carbon-Celite, paper and Toyopearl HW-40S (gel permeation). The asparagus fructopolysaccharide was a mixture of saccharides ranging from DP (degree of polymerization) 12 to 22 approximately. It yielded fructose and glucose hy hydrolyzing with acid or yeast //-fructofuranosidase. The ratio of fructose to glucose in the enzyme hydrolysate was 13 :1 hy HPLC analysis. Structural determinations were made hy ^-'C-NMR spectroscopy. Strong signals corresponding to carhon-1 (C-1), C-2, C-3, C-4, C-6 and C-5 of fructose residues m the fructopolysaccharide were ohserved at 561-08-61-77, 103-64-104-26, 77-42-78-08, 74-43-75-09, 62-71-63-00 and 81-74 respectively. These chemical shifts were similar to those of inulin. Moreover, weaker signals were also detected at ^92-85, 71-80, 73-13, 69-79 and 72-23 due to C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4 and C-5 of the glucose residue. The chemical shifts are almost identical to those of glucose carbons in raffinose, neokestose, 6''(l-^-Dfructofuranosyl),sucrose and r ,6'=-di-;5-D-fructofuranosyl sucrose. These findings were confirmed by analysis of methanolysate from permethylated fructopolysaccharide by using gas-liquid chromatography. The fructopolysaccharide from asparagus roots was composed of saccharides possessing approximately 11-21 fructose residues linked hy /^-2,1 honds and a non-terminal glucose residue bound with fructose residues at positions C-1 and C-6.