Dextran from Leuconostoc mesenteroides

Dextran is an extracellular bacterial polymer of D-glucopyranose. It consists of α-(1→6) linkage in the main chain with a variable amount of α-(1→2), α-(1→3), α-(1→4) branched linkages. Dextran from L. mesenteroides B512F comprises 95% of α- (1→6) linkages and 5% of α-(1→3) branch linkages. Insoluble dextran from L. mesenteroides 1299 contains 63% α-(1→6), 27% of α-(1→2) and 8% of α-(1→3) linkages.

Dextran from Leuconostoc mesenteroides has been used:

• in resuspension of pellets and in Hanks′ balanced salt solution (HBSS) for the isolation of vascular nuclei from frozen post-mortem brain tissue
• to prepare dextran solution in phosphate buffer saline and to maintain corneal hydration and restore corneal thickness to physiological levels of human eyes
• as a polymer solution in the in situ aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) formation with lysozyme PEGylation reaction

Use of dextrans as long and hydrophilic spacer arms improves the performance of immobilized proteins acting on macromolecules.

Dextran is commercially available as a drug, especially as a blood plasma volume expander. This bacterial polysaccharide has several applications, such as adjuvant, emulsifier, carrier, and stabilizer in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Dextran is used in the thickening of jam and ice cream in the food industry. It prevents sugar crystallization and retains moisture. This helps in preserving the flavor and appearance of several food items.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of our extensive range of Dextrans for your research, we encourage you to visit our Carbohydrates Category page.