Molded articles are disclosed herein, the molded article comprising a polysaccharide, wherein the polysaccharide comprises i) poly alpha-1,3-glucan; ii) poly alpha-1,3-1,6-glucan; iii) a graft copolymer that comprises (A) a backbone comprising dextran with a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of at least about 100000 Daltons, and (B) poly alpha-1,3-glucan side chains comprising at least about 95% alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkages; or iv) a composition comprising a poly alpha-1,3-glucan ester compound as disclosed herein. Optionally, the molded articles can further comprise a plasticizer and/or starch. The molded articles can be useful as a container, a handle, packaging, a tray, a bottle, a cup, a sheet, a disposable food packaging item, an automotive part, a casing for an electronic device, or a toy.

The present disclosure relates to a polymer network comprising a compound of Formula I cross-linked to a compound selected from the group consisting of a compound of Formula II; hyaluronate aldehyde, alginate aldehyde, dextran aldehyde, starch aldehyde, and chitosan aldehyde. It also relates to a process of preparing the polymer network. The present disclosure further relates to compositions comprising the polymer network and methods of preventing conditions and diseases that are caused by micro-organism. The present disclosure still further relates to a biocompatible antimicrobial hydrogel, a process for preparing the hydrogel, and methods of using the same, including a variety of tissue-related applications in which rapid adhesion to the tissue and gel formation is desired, as well as local delivery of pharmaceutical drugs to a site of application.

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The present invention relates to a method for preparing a porous scaffold for tissue engineering. It is another object of the present invention to provide a porous scaffold obtainable by the method as above described, and its use for tissue engineering, cell culture and cell delivery. The method of the invention comprises the steps consisting of: a) preparing an alkaline aqueous solution comprising an amount of at least one polysaccharide, an amount of a cross-linking agent and an amount of a porogen agent b) transforming the solution into a hydrogel by placing said solution at a temperature from about 4 C. to about 80 C. for a sufficient time to allow the cross-linking of said amount of polysaccharide and c) submerging said hydrogel into an aqueous solution d) washing the porous scaffold obtained at step c).

Loose particulate materials can be problematic in various aspects. For example, loose particulate materials may generate dust or be difficult to consolidate together. Fines in loose particulate materials may also be an issue. Coated particulates may alleviate some of the foregoing issues. Suitable coated particulates may comprise a particulate material comprising sand or a ceramic, and a polysaccharide composition coated upon the particulate material, the polysaccharide composition comprising a functionalized polysaccharide. Other particulate materials such as wood chips and animal litter particulates may be coated with functionalized polysaccharides to achieve similar advantages.

Provided is tunable biopolymer hydrogel produced from two processed natural polysaccharides for use as a hemostat. If desired, the hydrogel formation can be tuned so that the hydrogel forms within seconds when applied to a tissue lesion. The resulting hydrogel can adhere to tissue and, without swelling, produce hemostasis within seconds after application to tissue of interest. The hydrogel also captures, aggregates and concentrates platelets and red blood cells at the site of the tissue lesion thereby initiating a clotting cascade at the site of the lesion. The hemostat can be used to prevent blood loss during surgical procedures, for example, during brain, spine or other surgical procedures where hemostasis is desirable, and is particularly useful during surgical procedures where swelling of the hemostat (e.g., in the brain or spine) would be detrimental to the subject.

Method for the production of dextran comprising the following steps: prepare a culture medium containing the appropriated mixture and balance of ingredients, mainly after accurate selection of nature and concentration of carbon and nitrogen sources, with a specific initial pH, inoculate the culture medium with an appropriated quantity of bacteria strain (to standardize the production and avoid as much as possible the variability of the system); carry out the fermentation for a given time and at a given temperature; precipitate the dextran to separate the product from the culture medium; the bacteria strain is a strain of Weissella cibaria.

Therapeutic compositions and/or formulations are provided, comprising: at least one cross-linked protein matrix, wherein the at least one cross-linked protein matrix comprises at least one protein residue and at least one saccharide-containing residue, and methods of producing the same. The cross-linked protein matrix may be derived from cross-linking a full length or substantially full length protein, such as tropoelastin, elastin, albumin, collagen, collagen monomers, immunoglobulins, insulin, and/or derivatives or combinations thereof, with a saccharide containing cross-linking agent, such as a polysaccharide cross-linking agent derived from, for example, hyaluronic acid or a cellulose derivative. The therapeutic compositions may be administered topically or by injection. The present disclosure also provides methods, systems, and/or kits for the preparation and/or formulation of the compositions disclosed herein.

Disclosed herein is method for conjugating a metal chelating agent to a functionalized dextran by reacting a chelator with an aminated dextran backbone, where the chelator comprises a one, and only one, derivatized carboxylic acid group to form a chelator-dextran complex. In certain aspects, the dextran-chelator complex is substantially free of intra- or intermolecular crosslinking. In certain aspects, the functionalized dextran is an amine dextran, an alkynyl dextran, or a thiol dextran. In exemplary implementations, the functionalized dextran is an amine dextran. In further embodiments, one and only one carboxylic acid group on the chelating agent is derivatized as a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester.

Methods of treating, inhibiting and/or preventing instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) comprise administering, to a subject, a dextran sulfate characterized by a number average molecular weight (M.sub.n) as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy within an interval of 1850 and 3500 Da; an average sulfate number per glucose unit within an interval of 2.5 and 3.0; and an average sulfation of C2 position in the glucose units of said dextran sulfate of at least 90%, or a salt of such a dextran sulfate.

Compositions are disclosed herein comprising one or more crosslinked dextrans or crosslinked dextran-poly alpha-1,3-glucan graft copolymers. Further disclosed are processes for preparing such crosslinked materials, as well as their use in absorption applications.