The invention relates to a method for producing a hydrocolloid with an improved water-binding ability in which the hydrocolloid is treated in a mixture with water in a high pressure homogenization process at at least 100 MPa.

Tissue and other body structures may be protected using a dry, free-flowing, sterilized mixture of chitosan particles and oxidized polysaccharide particles in sealed packaging. The mixture may assist in returning an injured, inflamed or surgically repaired surface to a normal state, e.g., through one or more healing mechanisms such as modulation of an inflammatory response, phagocytosis, mucosal remodeling, reciliation or other full or partial restoration of normal function.

The invention relates to the preparation and the use of ,-unsaturated aldehydes in the structure of sulfated polysaccharides. It concerns the derivatives with a conjugated double bond in the 4th and 5th positions of the galactopyranose part situated in the 6th position with respect to the aldehyde, according to the general structural formula (I) or its hydrated form according to the general structural formula (II). The preparation of these derivatives derives from sulfated polysaccharides containing a galactopyranose ring sulfated in the 4th position that is bound in the polymer chain via (1.fwdarw.3) or (1.fwdarw.3) O-glycosidic bond. In the described solution, the sulfated polysaccharides undergo a regio- and chemoselective oxidation to form C6-saturated aldehyde, which, via a direct elimination of the sulfate group, provides the ,-unsaturated derivative according to the general formula (I) or (II). The described solution is technically advantageous, because it leads directly to ,-unsaturated aldehydes, without any elimination agents, higher temperature, or isolation of intermediates during the synthesis. The conjugation in the structure of ,-unsaturated aldehyde allows, under physiological conditions, to bind a wide variety of biocompatible amines in the structure of the sulfated polysaccharides. The proposed method allows to prepare materials suitable for pH-responsive drug delivery systems, or for the preparation of scaffolds in tissue engineering or regenerative medicine. Formulae for the abstract (I), (II) above, where R is OH, OSO.sub.2OH, OSO.sub.2ONa, or NHAc. ##STR00001##

Disclosed herein are compositions and articles made therefrom, the compositions and articles comprising at least one hydrocolloid, at least one plasticizer, at least one filler and/or humectant and water. Typically, the components are derived from biological sources, such as seaweed, plants, or animals. Typically, the components are made from food quality ingredients, making the compositions and articles edible and/or biodegradable. The compositions are used to form articles, such as straws, and the articles have desirable flexibility and moisture barrier properties, such as swelling resistance, as well as biodegradability and/or compostability properties.

The invention relates to a plant-based flexible material and a process for preparation thereof. The flexible material is useful as an alternative to leather, formed without the use of animal products. In one aspect, the present invention provides a process for preparing a plant-based flexible material, comprising the steps of: a) providing a dispersion of lignocellulosic biomass in an agueous-based solvent and further comprising one or more binders, wherein the one or more binders comprises at least one sulphated polysaccharide; b) heating the dispersion to a temperature of at least 35? C. to form a heated dispersion; and c) drying the heated dispersion to form the flexible material.

The invention relates to the preparation of new polysaccharide derivatives comprising a double bond in the positions 4 and 5 of the pyranose cycle. The method of preparation consists in the oxidation of OH group in the position 6 to an aldehyde, followed by the elimination to form a double CC bond in the positions 4 and 5, and the fmal reduction of the aldehyde group in the position 6 into the original alcohol. The derivatives of polysaccharides prepared according to the invention show an enhanced antioxidant activity and some of them also a selective negative influence on carcinoma cell viability. (formula) where R represents NHCOCH.sub.3 or OH.

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A method for preparing seaweed extract from Eucheuma seaweed wherein the finished product did not undergo alkali modification. The seaweed extract produced in this method was tested as a binder in 50% extended restructured ham. The results demonstrate the binding capability of the seaweed extract in meat systems. A method was then developed to monitor the quality of the finished seaweed extract in terms of protein reactivity. The measurement of the extract's functionality was done using a benchtop modelling system similar to the production of processed meat whereby the method generates what is called meat gels.

The present invention discloses a matrix comprising a modified polysaccharide consisting of repeating disaccharide units whereby in at least 11% of the disaccharide units one primary alcohol group is oxidized into a carboxylic acid group.

A cell tissue gel, comprising one or more matrix molecules cross-linked with a cross-linking agent, and a quenching agent bound to a reactive group of the cross-linking agent, wherein the quenching agent contains a moiety that is capable of reacting with the reactive group of the cross-linking agent and the one or more matrix molecules contain one or more functional groups that are capable of cross-linking with the reactive group, the amount of the reactive group of the cross-linking agent being equal to or less than a total amount including the amount of the one or more functional groups and the amount of the moiety.

The present invention provides amidic polymers, which exhibit shale swelling inhibitor activity having improved bio-degradability. The amidic polymers of the invention may be employed in a wide variety of compositions, particularly in subterranean drilling operations. Non-limiting generic structures of the amidic polymers are set out below: (1) wherein R.sub.1-R.sub.3 and integers m and n are defined herein.

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