ABSTRACT
Polysaccharides are the fundamental polymeric elements in many biological structures, such as the cell wall of plants and bacteria. In higher organisms, they have many functions; for example, they are used for energy storage, serve as lubricants and provide support to cellular elements of tissues, and also mediate numerous molecular recognition and adhesive interactions between cells (Rao et al., 1998). Most polysaccharides are homo-or heteropolymers of sugar monomers, such as glucose and its epimers (e.g., mannose, galactose), which differ from glucose by the orientation of a speci¡c hydroxyl (OH) group and by various substituents on the pyranose ring. The pyranose ring itself is composed of ¡ve carbon atoms and one oxygen atom with side groups made of oxygen and hydrogen.
