Amine-functionalized saccharide polymers, including oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, may be effective for promoting clay stabilization in subterranean formations. Oxidative synthesis of amine-functionalized saccharide polymers using sodium hypochlorite pentahydrate as an oxidation reagent may afford a different distribution and type of sites of oxidative opening as compared to other types of oxidation reagents. Amine-functionalized saccharide polymers may be prepared by exposing a saccharide polymer comprising a trans-vicinal diol to an oxidation reagent comprising sodium hypochlorite pentahydrate, reacting the trans-vicinal diol to form a site of oxidative opening bearing at least one aldehyde, exposing the at least one aldehyde to an amine to form an imine intermediate at the site of oxidative opening, and reducing the imine intermediate into a secondary or tertiary amine at the site of oxidative opening.

An aqueous dispersion of fructan-containing particles, wherein the D.sub.50 of the fructan-containing particles lies between 2 μm and 50 μm and the solids content of the aqueous dispersion lies between 61 wt. % and 80 wt. %. Also described is a process for the preparation of an aqueous dispersion of fructan-containing particles comprising: bringing fructan and water together to form a mixture; optionally hydrolyzing a portion of the fructans in the mixture, such that at the end of this step between 5 wt. % and 25 wt. % of all fructans in the mixture are essentially non-soluble at room temperature; optionally bring the mixture into contact with a purification agent, followed by removal of the purification agent from the mixture; and concentrating the mixture such that the solids content lies between 61 and 80%.

Metal contaminants may be problematic in a number of industries, particularly in the mining industry. Fines production and dust control may be similarly problematic in many industries, including the mining industry. Reaction products formed from a saccharide polymer and diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC) under room temperature to heating conditions in the presence of a hydroxide base or a radical initiator may be effective for promoting removal of metal contaminants from clay-containing substances, such as through froth flotation. The reaction products may also be effective for mitigating fines production and providing dust control by forming a coating upon a plurality of particulates.

A composition comprised of a plurality of levan oligomers, wherein at least 70% (w/w) of said plurality of levan oligomers are characterized by: (i) weight average molecular weights (M.sub.W) of 540 to 1000 g/mole, and (ii) a dispersity index (Ð) of less than 2 is disclosed herein. Uses of the levan composition, such as, as a feed additive, growth promoter and for improving the rejuvenation and healing of a human skin, are also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods for reducing lost circulation in drilling wells with compositions preferably comprising cross linked levan and calcium carbonate mixed with clay minerals such as kaolinite and other minerals blends or salts thereof.

A composition comprised of a plurality of levan oligomers, wherein at least 70% (w/w) of said plurality of levan oligomers are characterized by: (i) weight average molecular weights (M.sub.W) of 540 to 1000 g/mole, and (ii) a dispersity index (?) of less than 2 is disclosed herein. Uses of the levan composition, such as, as a feed additive, growth promoter and for improving the rejuvenation and healing of a human skin, are also disclosed.

The present invention regards the synthesis of bioconjugated molecules, formed between two or more of the following functional groups: sugars, prebiotics, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, triglycerides, fatty acids, fatty acids esters, anti-inflammatories; with its production process by biocatalyzed synthesis with hydrolases such as esterases, proteases, lipases or cutinases, and its purification with several methods that include washing and drying. In addition, its applications in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, such as: prebiotic nutraceutical, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, intestinal vector, techno-functional ingredient for food applications (emulsifier, fat substitute) and cosmetic emollient; which are possible since these are non toxic molecules according to the Ames tests.

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods for dust control in particular in industrial operations such as mining. More particularly, the dust controlling agents are functionalized polysaccharides, partially oxidized polysaccharides that may or may not also be functionalized, or salts thereof.

Polysaccharides may be partially oxidized by oxidative opening of a monosaccharide unit while still retaining glycosidic bonds. Such polysaccharides may be further functionalized with an amine moiety at a site of oxidative opening. Polysaccharides that are partially oxidized and amine-functionalized in this manner may be combined with an aqueous liquid to form compositions suitable for stabilizing clays in clay-containing formations. Clay stabilization may promote reduced swelling of the clays in the presence of water.

The present invention relates to a novel stationary phase support for liquid chromatographic chiral separations. The specific combination of the special underlying support material and certain classes of known chiral selectors according to the invention produces far superior chiral (enantiomeric) separations than those obtained on any conventionally known supports. These chiral (enantiomeric) separations are enhanced in terms of significantly higher efficiencies (theoretical plate numbers), higher resolutions (R.sub.s), shorter retention times and either equivalent or slightly higher selectivities than those obtained on conventional supports.