Aspects of the invention provide compositions for use in the treatment galectin-dependent diseases. In particular, compositions comprising a selectively depolymerized, branched galactoarabino-rhamnogalacturonate whose backbone is predominantly comprised of 1,4-linked galacturonic acid (GalA) moieties, with a lesser backbone composition of alternating 1,4-linked GalA and 1,2-linked rhamnose (Rha), which in-turn is linked to any number of side chains, including predominantly 1,4-b-D-galactose (Gal) and 1,5-a-L-arabinose (Ara) residues.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

Aspects of the invention provide compositions for use in the treatment galectin-dependent diseases. In particular, compositions comprising a selectively depolymerized, branched galactoarabino-rhamnogalacturonate whose backbone is predominantly comprised of 1,4-linked galacturonic acid (GalA) moieties, with a lesser backbone composition of alternating 1,4-linked GalA and 1,2-linked rhamnose (Rha), which in-turn is linked to any number of side chains, including predominantly 1,4-b-D-galactose (Gal) and 1,5--L-arabinose (Ara) residues.

The invention relates to a method for production of a preparation from a vegetable material, said preparation being enriched in a polysaccharide with a backbone comprising rhamnogalacturonan-I cores, said method comprising the steps: mixing the vegetable material with a polar alcoholic solvent; and separating a solid residue obtained in step a) from the solvent; and mixing the solid residue obtained in step b) with a buffered aqueous solution having a pH between 7 and 8. Also provided is a preparation containing rhamnogalacturonan-I pectins that can be obtained by this method and the use of such a preparation to modulate immune response.

The present invention includes a hydrogel and a method of making a porous hydrogel by preparing an aqueous mixture of an uncrosslinked polymer and a crystallizable molecule; casting the mixture into a vessel; allowing the cast mixture to dry to form an amorphous hydrogel film; seeding the cast mixture with a seed crystal of the crystallizable molecule; growing the crystallizable molecule into a crystal structure within the uncrosslinked polymer; crosslinking the polymer around the crystal structure under conditions in which the crystal structure within the crosslinked polymer is maintained; and dissolving the crystals within the crosslinked polymer to form the porous hydrogel.

The invention provides a coffee pulp treatment process comprising (a) Providing coffee pulp, obtainable from a production process for producing green coffee beans from coffee cherries; (b) extracting from the coffee pulp a pectin comprising extract, wherein extraction is performed under acid conditions or alkaline conditions, to provide the pectin comprising extract; (c) enzymatic treatment of the pectin comprising extract, wherein the enzymatic treatment comprises a treatment with one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of an esterase and a reductase, to provide a enzymatically treated pectin material; and (d) extraction of polyphenol functionalized coffee pectin extract from the enzymatically treated pectin material.

Methods and compositions for reducing fibrosis and cirrhosis are provided in which an effective dose of an admixture of a polysaccharide compound and, for example, a compound selected from the group consisting of antibodies specific to intracellular or cell-surface: (i) beta-PDGF receptors; (ii) synaptophysin; (iii) zvegf3; (iv) CCR1 receptors; (v) connective tissue growth factor; (vi) alpha 1-smooth muscle actin; (vii) matrix metalloproteinases MMP 2 and MMP9; (viii) matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors TIMP1 and TMP2; (ix) integrins; (x) TFG-1; (xi) endothelin receptor antagonists; and (xii) collagen synthesis and degradation modulating compounds; (xiii) actin synthesis and degradation modulating compounds; and (xiv) tyrosine kinases is administered to an animal in order to treat fibrosis.

A polysaccharide derivative has a partial structure represented by Formula (1) below. It is preferable that at least one of the amino acids that constitute X.sup.2 in Formula (1) below is a basic amino acid.

##STR00001##

(In the formula, X.sup.1 represents a residue obtained by removing the terminal amino group and the terminal carboxyl group from a neutral amino acid or an -aminoalkanoic acid, X.sup.2 represents a residue obtained by removing the terminal amino group and the terminal carboxyl group from a membrane-permeable peptide, X.sup.3 represents a hydroxyl group, an amino group, an alkoxyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a benzyloxy group, a represents a number of 0 or 1, and b represents a number of from 0 to 50.)

The present invention relates to functionalized hydrogel networks grafted with at least one moiety for use in numerous fields, from cosmetics to surgery and medicine.