Investigation of the Composition of Guayule Rubber Using High Resolution Size Chromatography

Despite great advances in chemistry and materials science, natural rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene, NR) remains irreplaceable in many applications with properties that cannot be matched by any synthetic materials. NR is produced by many plants, with Hevea brasiliensis (the Brazilian rubber tree) being the most important commercial source. Parthenium argentatum (guayule) is of special interest in recent years for its hypoallergenic properties while maintaining superior mechanical properties that are commonly associated with NR. Cornish et al. have developed techniques to isolate washed rubber particles (WRP) that contain enzymatically active rubber transferase, in order to study in vitro NR biosynthesis.  This paper discusses the analysis of guayule latex and WRP utilizing high resolution Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry.