Polysaccharides

Complex glucan (a 1-6) from Leuconostoc spp.; extender in blood transfusions

Applications Verbascose (CAS# 546-62-3) is an α-galactooligosaccharide with immunomodulatory activity in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells.
References Dai, Z.; et al.: J. Agric. Food. Chem., 66, 9070 (2018);

Xylan is the most abundant noncellulosic polysaccharide present in both hardwoods and annual plants. Xylan is found mainly in the secondary cell wall as part of the hemicellulose fraction and is considered to form an interface between lignin and other polysaccharides. In their simplest forms, xylans are linear homopolymers of β-1,4-xylose residues but can also form complex heterogenous and polydispersed glycans.

A fucan sulphate found in brown marine algae (Phaeophyta-typically Fucus serratus, Ascophyllum nodosum (illustrated), Laminaria japonica and Macrocystis pyrifyra) and has been shown to have anticoagulant activity. The main constituents are α-1,4 and α-1,2 linked L-fucose sulphates although galactose also occurs and there are many variations of the basic structure found in different species of Phaeophyta.
The image was kindly provided by Prof Mike Guiry from Cork who runs ‘The Seaweed Site’.

Dextran sulphate is a dextran derivative whose ulcer (colitis) -causing properties were first reported in hamsters and extrapolated a few years later to mice and rats. The exact mechanisms through which dextran sulphate induces intestinal inflammation are unclear but may be the result of direct damage of the monolayer of epithelial cells in the colon, leading to the crossing of intestinal contents (for e.g. commensal bacteria and their products) into underlying tissue and therefore induction of inflammation.  The dextran sulphate sodium-induced ulceration model in laboratory animals has some advantages when compared to other animal models of colitis due to its simplicity and similarities to human inflammatory bowel disease. 
MW is in the range of 40,000Da

Chitin forms the tough fibrous exoskeletons of insects, crustaceans and other arthropods, and, in addition to its presence in some fungi, it occurs in at least one alga. The structure of chitin is similar to that of cellulose but with glucose replaced with N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl units linked β-D-(1,4) in a linear chain. Chitin is normally produced from the shells of lobster, crab or shrimp.

Dextran sulphate is a dextran derivative whose ulcer (colitis) -causing properties were first reported in hamsters and extrapolated a few years later to mice and rats. The exact mechanisms through which dextran sulphate induces intestinal inflammation are unclear but may be the result of direct damage of the monolayer of epithelial cells in the colon, leading to the crossing of intestinal contents (for e.g. commensal bacteria and their products) into underlying tissue and therefore induction of inflammation.  The dextran sulphate sodium induced ulceration model in laboratory animals has some advantages, when compared to other animal models of colitis, due to its simplicity and similarities to human inflammatory bowel disease.

A fucan sulphate found in brown marine algae (Phaeophyta-typically Fucus serratus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Laminaria digitata (illustrated) and Macrocystis pyrifyra) and has been shown to have anticoagulant activity. The main constituents are α-1,4 and α-1,2 linked L-fucose sulphates although galactose also occurs and there are many variations of the basic structure found in different species of Phaeophyta.
The image was kindly provided by Prof Mike Guiry from Cork who runs ‘The Seaweed Site’.