Carbohydratebased

Carbohydrate-based materials are those in which carbohydrates or their derivatives form the primary structural component. This umbrella term covers natural polysaccharides, chemically modified derivatives, and polymers synthesized from carbohydrate monomers. Carbohydrates can be used in their native form or subjected to functionalization to tailor solubility, gelation, and mechanical properties.

Common natural sources include starch, cellulose, pectin, alginate, carrageenan, agar, xanthan gum, guar gum, dextran, chitosan (derived from chitin), and various fungal or bacterial glucans. In industry these materials are extracted and purified from plants, seaweeds, or microorganisms and may be further chemically or physically modified to achieve desired characteristics such as solubility, charge, or crosslinking behavior.

Processing approaches include hydrolysis, esterification, etherification, grafting, and crosslinking to form hydrogels, films, fibers, or porous scaffolds. Carbohydrate-based polymers can be crosslinked physically (ionic or hydrogen bonding) or covalently, and can be designed to be biocompatible and biodegradable. Their properties are influenced by factors such as degree of substitution, molecular weight, and source material.

Applications span food technology (thickeners and stabilizers), pharmaceuticals and medicine (drug delivery systems, wound dressings), tissue engineering (scaffolds and hydrogels), biodegradable packaging, and agricultural products. The tunable rheology and compatibility with living systems make carbohydrate-based materials attractive for a range of sectors.

Advantages include renewability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, along with a wide range of rheological behaviors. Challenges involve moisture sensitivity, batch-to-batch variability, limited mechanical strength relative to some synthetic polymers, and sometimes higher production costs. Ongoing research seeks to improve performance through derivatization, composite formulations, and sustainable processing.