Bioactive Carbohydrate Polymers

Bioactive Carbohydrate Polymers is probably the first book dealing with the latest in the field of polysaccharides and related products and their biological activities, especially the immunological effects. The different chapters describe the structure and bioactivity of polysaccharides from plants used in traditional medicine in different parts of the world, especially China, Japan and Europe. The focus of the book is on immunologically active plant and seaweed polysaccharides, pharmacological activities of sulphated polysaccharides of animal and seaweed origin, and on possible activities of polysaccharides in our food. Methods for isolation and characterisation of the polymers with chemical and enzymatic methods is covered, as well as discussions on the different biological test-systems and the information they provide. This book will be useful to scientists and postgraduate students working with polysaccharides and their possible uses, and should be of interest for people working in the areas of chemistry, biology, pharmacy and medicine.

Contenu

List of Contributors. Acknowledgements. Preface. 1. News on Immunologically active plant polysaccharides; H. Wagner, S. Kraus. 2. Bioactive plant polysaccharides from Japanese and Chinese traditional herbal medicines; H. Yamada. 3. Bioactive compounds from Icelandic moss; K. Ingolfsdottir. 4. Structural features of biologically active polysaccharide fractions from the leaves and seeds of Plantago major. L.; A.B. Samuelsen. 5. Pharmacological Activities of Sulphated Carbohydrate Polymers; G. Franz, et al. 6. Relationships between chemical characteristics and anticoagulant activity of low molecular weight fucants from marine algae; F. Chaubet, et al. 7. Immune stimulation properties of di-equatorially beta-1-4 linked poly-uronides; G. Skjåk-Bræk, et al. 8. Immunostimulatory beta(1,3)-D-glucans; prophylactic drugs against threatening infectious diseases of fish; R.A. Dalmo. 9. Extractability of cell wall-related polysaccharides with potential bioactivity and their persistence during fermentation; J.A. Robertson, et al. 10. Pectic hairy regions of lemon fruits: a polysaccharide with potential bioactivity; J.M. Ros, et al. 11. Enzymes as tools for structural studies of pectins; A.G.J. Voragen, et al.