Table 1.
Various polysaccharides in nature
| Polysaccharides | Source | Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Starch | Plants | Storage, drug adjuvant |
| Cellulose | Plants | Cell structure, food additives |
| Pectin | Plants | Food additives |
| Alginate | Microorganism | Drug adjuvant |
| Carrageenan | Microorganism | Food additives |
| Heparin | Animals | Animal tissue structure, therapeutic agents |
| Hyaluronan | Animals | Animal tissue structure, therapeutic agents |
| Chondroitin sulfate | Animals | Animal tissue structure |
| Heparin sulfate | Animals | Animal tissue structure |
| Chitin and chitosan | Animals | Tissue scaffolds |