Carbohydrate polymers are macromolecules built from sugar residues joined by glycosidic bonds, and the class spans storage polysaccharides, structural glycans and their synthetic derivatives [1]. Linkage position and anomeric configuration decide whether the chain is linear and ribbon-like, as in cellulose, or branched and compact, as in starch and glycogen [2]. Hydroxyl groups along the backbone make the polymers hydrophilic and able to form extended hydrogen-bond networks, which underlies their gelation and film formation [1]. Because each repeat unit carries several reactive hydroxyls, substitution at a fraction of them yields derivatives whose solubility and charge differ from the parent [1]. Molar mass and degree of substitution, rather than sugar identity alone, set the viscosity of a solution [3].
- polysaccharide
- glycosidic linkage
- degree of substitution
- hydrogen bonding
- glycan
References
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- Valencia, G.A.; Zare, E.N.; Makvandi, P.; Gutiérrez, T.J. Self‐Assembled Carbohydrate Polymers for Food Applications: A Review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2019, 18, 2009-2024. [CrossRef]
- Ben-Shalom, N.; Conway, W.; Gross, K.; Sams, C.; Pinto, R. Carbohydrate Polymers. Carbohydrate Polymers 1998, 35, 297-299. [CrossRef]