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 comprises a method of industrial extraction of alginates from brown seaweeds of the family Sargassaceae of the order Fucales, as well as the product resulting from the method. The method includes the following stages: preparation of raw materials, crushing of the algae, pressure boiling of the algae, mixing the boiled algae with water, purification of the diluted algal mass, extraction of alginic acid, washing of the alginic acid, dehydration of the alginic acid, treatment of the alginic acid with sodium hydrogen carbonate, clarification of resultant sodium alginate solution, precipitation of sodium alginate gel, and drying of the sodium alginate gel.

A capsule, especially for preparing a beverage from beverage powder, in particular of coffee from coffee powder, by introducing water into the capsule, wherein the capsule comprises a compacted pellet made of a powder containing at least one polysaccharide, wherein the compacted pellet is sheathed with at least one coating layer, wherein the at least one coating layer comprises a cross-linked polysaccharide, wherein the cross-linked polysaccharide can be obtained by cross-linking a polysaccharide with a cross-linking agent without the use of a polyol spacer.

A method for manufacturing such a capsule comprises the following steps: i) preparing a compacted pellet from a powder containing at least one polysaccharide, ii) bringing at least one part and preferably the entire surface of the compacted pellet used in step i) into contact with a solution of a polysaccharide in a solvent or with a dispersion of a polysaccharide in a dispersant, iii) when appropriate, removing of the compacted pellet from the solution or dispersion of step ii), iv) bringing the compacted pellet obtained in step ii) or iii) into contact with at least one cross-linking agent, v) when appropriate, removing the compacted pellet from the solution of step iv) and vi) drying of the compacted pellet obtained in step iv) or v).

Provided is water-soluble compound that can be used in a sustained-release preparation and is capable of stably releasing a fixed amount of an active ingredient in vivo by using the novel potential base material option of alginic acid as the base material. The present invention relates to an alginic acid derivative having a structure which is obtained by covalently bonding a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory compound and alginic acid or a salt thereof via a linker, and preferably relates to an alginic acid derivative represented by formula (1) (in the formula: (A) represents one residue derived from alginic acid or a salt thereof and having the C(═O)— group from either L-guluronic acid or D-mannuronic acid, the monosaccharides that constitute alginic acid; (D) represents one residue from a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory compound; and -L- represents a linker having a functional group which is capable of bonding to (A) by means of an amide bond and having a functional group which is capable of bonding to (D) by means of an ester bond).

##STR00001##

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 disclosure provides a composition for submucosal injection including a divalent cation and an oligosaccharide obtained by exposing powdered polysaccharides to irradiation, heat, ultrasound, or ultraviolet radiation. The composition may be provided as a single solution; or the divalent cation and the oligosaccharide may be separately packaged, with the divalent cation being provided in solution form and the oligosaccharide being provided in powder form. The divalent cation may be 0.1-0.5% w/v of Ca.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Zn.sup.2+, or any combination thereof. The oligosaccharide may be 0.5-2% w/v of degraded sodium alginate, degraded xanthan gum, degraded dextran, degraded welan gum, degraded gellan gum, degraded diutan gum, or any combination thereof. When the divalent cation is in contact with the oligosaccharide, viscosity of the composition is greater than 1000 cP, and injection pressure of the composition falls within a range of 2.5-4 kgf.

The present invention provides crosslinking pairs of hydrogel precursor polymers, dynamic covalent hydrogels prepared from such crosslinking pairs of hydrogel precursors, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such precursors or hydrogels and uses thereof in a variety of applications.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to treatment fluids comprising a compound of the formula (I): wherein G.sub.1, G.sub.2, L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.3, q, and r are defined herein. Various other embodiments relates to methods of treating subterranean formations with such treatment fluids. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a mannuronic diacid oligosaccharide composition, comprising a mannuronic diacid of Formula (III) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein n is an integer from 1 to 9, m is 0, 1 or 2, and m′ is 0 or 1, and wherein the total weight of mannuronic diacids wherein n=1-5 is 80-95% of the total weight of the composition, and the ratio of the total weight of mannuronic diacids wherein n=1-3 to the total weight of mannuronic diacids wherein n=4-7 is between 1.0 and 3.5.

##STR00001##

Cyclooctene conjugates of therapeutic or diagnostic agents have improved aqueous solubility and can release the agents upon contact with a tetrazine-containing biomaterial. The cyclooctene conjugates provide site-selective delivery of agents at the location of the tetrazine-containing biomaterial in a subject. The compositions and methods have applications in the treatment of various diseases or conditions including cancer, tumor growths, and bacterial infections.