ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the different types of natural polysaccharides and their applications in various fields. The non-cellulosic polysaccharides obtained from plant sources are grouped under hemicellulose. The term hemicellulose has now been modified, and the term crosslinking glycans have been proposed instead of hemicellulose. Since then several works on alginates have been performed, and it is considered the second most common exopolysaccharide produced by brown sea weeds of Class Pheaophyceae. Ulvans are sulfated polysaccharides consisting of glucose, iduronic acid, and sulfated rhamnose units. Blends of xanthan gum with other polysaccharides act as an excellent stabilizer for ice cream, ice milk, sherbet, and milk shakes. Since the introduction of chitin and chitosan, it has been explored for several applications. Polysaccharides are found to have various properties such as stability, gelling ability, viscosity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Despite their origin of sources, they can be utilized in various nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.
