Dextran

Dextrans are polysaccharides formed from glucose by certain bacteria of the Lactobacillaceae family. In medicine, the products of partial hydrolysis of dextrans are used as plasma substitutes and medicines.

Dextrans are linear polymers of D-glucose linked by α-1,6-glycosidic bonds. The structure of dextrans also contains branches along α-1,2-, α-1,3- or α-1,4-linkages. The molecular weight of dextrans can vary from several thousand to 200 million daltons.

Dextrans are synthesized by bacteria such as Leuconostoc, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus from sugars, in particular sucrose and maltose. They perform a protective function, protecting bacteria from drying out.

In medical practice, dextrans are used after partial hydrolysis. They have the ability to bind water and increase the volume of blood plasma, so they are used as blood substitutes for blood loss. In addition, dextrans exhibit anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic effects.

Dextrans are polysaccharides formed from glucose by certain bacteria of the Lactobacillaceae family.

In medicine, the products of partial hydrolysis of dextrans are used as plasma substitutes and medicines. Dextrans have a pronounced detoxification and anti-shock effect. They are able to bind and remove toxins, radionuclides and other harmful substances from the body.

In addition, dextrans improve blood microcirculation, inhibit platelet and erythrocyte aggregation, and reduce blood viscosity. All these properties make dextrans indispensable in the treatment of shock, burns, poisoning, radiation sickness and other critical conditions accompanied by a violation of the rheological properties of the blood.