Dextrans are highly branched macromolecular biopolysaccharides. They consist exclusively of glucose monomers and belong to the homoglycans.
Natural dextrans have molecular masses between 10 and 50000 kg/mol. Dextrans are soluble in water, whereby the solubility depends on the molecular mass. Here, highly viscous, gel-like liquids are formed. Due to the very broad molecular mass distribution of the various dextrans and the associated differences in terms of solubility in water, dextrans have numerous applications.
Thanks to their special properties, dextrans play an important role in many areas. For e.g. dextrans are used in chromatography, both as a carrier in affinity chromatography and (in modified form) for Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). Furthermore, they are used as a measurement standard in membrane technology and in adhesives as well as coatings, or as an auxiliary material for paper and textile manufacture.