Process for extracting from a plant starting material, such as a fungus, for the preparation of a hyaluronic acid or a salt thereof (HA) having a weight average molecular weight comprised from 10 kDa to 600 kDa.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides nitric oxide-releasing polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, in particular, polyglucosamines, and their use in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. More particularly, in some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter provides nitric oxide-releasing polysaccharides and oligosaccharides that release nitric oxide in a controlled and targeted manner, thereby prolonging the therapeutic effects of nitric oxide and improving the specificity of nitric oxide delivery to targeted cells and/or tissues.

The present invention generally relates to deuterium-enriched hyaluronan, d-HA, compositions containing the same, methods of using the same, and methods for making the same. ##STR00001##

The invention relates to a polysaccharide polymer of formula (I):

PS—(O—CO-L-X).sub.a(OH).sub.b   (I) in which PS denotes the basic backbone of the polysaccharide bearing the hydroxyl groups; L is a divalent hydrocarbon-based group comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; X denotes a photoactive group of azide or diazirine type; a denotes the content of OH groups substituted with the photoactive group; b denotes the content of unsubstituted free OH groups; a being between 0.02 and 0.5; b being between 0.5 and 0.98; and a+b=1.

The invention also relates to a composition comprising the polymer (I) in a physiologically acceptable medium, and also to a cosmetic process for caring for the skin, comprising the topical application to the skin of said composition and exposure of the treated skin to light radiation.

The invention relates to a cosmetic process for caring for the skin, more particularly facial skin, in particular wrinkled skin, comprising the topical application to the skin of a cosmetic composition comprising a grafted polysaccharide polymer (I) and exposure of the treated skin to light radiation, polymer (I) being of formula:

PS—(CO—NH-L-X).sub.a(COOH)b

in which PS denotes the basic backbone of the polysaccharide bearing the carboxylic acid groups;
L is a divalent hydrocarbon-based group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms;
X denotes a photoactive group of azide or diazirine type;
a denotes the content of COOH groups substituted with the group —NH-L-X;
b denotes the content of unsubstituted free COOH groups;
a being between 0.01 and 0.8; b being between 0.2 and 0.99;
a+b=1

The invention also relates to the polymers (I) bearing a photoactive group X of diazirine type and to a composition comprising such a polymer in a physiologically acceptable medium.

The invention relates to a cosmetic method for treating human body odors. Said method includes:

(i) applying, to the skin, a composition containing a polymer (I):

##STR00001##

wherein R′ is, separately, H or an acetyl grouping or a —CO-L-X grouping, the polymer containing at least one R′═—CO-L-X grouping,
L being a divalent hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms,
X denoting a photoactive azide or diazirine group,
and n ranging from 5 to 2000;
then (ii) exposing the skin to visible light.

The method used on the skin can also be used on materials for deodorizing malodorous environments such as shoe soles or clothing.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of linear low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMWHA) or one of its salts, obtained by chemical depolymerization in strong acidic conditions and to the low molecular weight hyaluronic acid so obtained.

The present invention provides compositions, and related kits and methods, for formation of hydrogels. The compositions comprise one or more chemically crosslinkable agents dissolved in an aqueous solution to form a precursor solution. The chemically crosslinkable agents useful in the present invention are selected from polymers modified with a molecule selected from acrylate, maleimide, vinylsulfone, N-hydroxysuccinimide, aldehyde, ketone, carbodiimide, carbonate, iodoacetyl, mercaptonicotinamide, quinone, thiol, amine, and combinations thereof. The precursor solution is characterized as being in an aqueous form at a non-physiologic physical-chemical condition and undergoing gelation when in contact with another fluid or body at a physiologic physical-chemical condition.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a crosslinked gel of at least one polysaccharide or a salt thereof, comprising at least the steps consisting in: a) providing a solution formed from an aqueous medium comprising at least said polysaccharide(s) or a salt thereof in a non-crosslinked form, at least one difunctional or multifunctional epoxide crosslinking agent chosen from butanediol diglycidyl ether, diepoxyoctane, 1,2-bis(2,3-epoxypropyl)-2,3-ethylene, and mixtures thereof, and at least one phosphate salt; b) crosslinking the solution from step a) and, where appropriate; c) recovering said crosslinked gel formed.

The invention relates to the field of polymer production, in particular to the production of chitin and chitosan from microalgae belonging to the phylum Haptophyta to the phylum Chlorophyta, or to the phylum Heterokontophyta, particularly from microalgae of the genus Isochrysis, Chlorella, Bracteacoccus, Chlorococcum, Scenedesmns, Desmodesmus, Haematococcus, Thalassiosira and Nannochloropsis, as well as to microalgal extracts thereof and their uses.