cellulosexylan
Cellulosexylan is a term that has been used to describe a complex carbohydrate found in the cell walls of plants, particularly in woody tissues. It is understood to be a composite material where cellulose microfibrils are embedded within a matrix of hemicelluloses, primarily xylans. This intimate association between cellulose and xylan is crucial for the structural integrity and mechanical properties of plant cell walls. The precise nature of the interaction, including how the xylan chains associate with the cellulose surface and form a cohesive matrix, is a subject of ongoing research.
Xylans themselves are a diverse group of polysaccharides composed mainly of xylose units, often with side chains
The ratio of cellulose to xylan can vary significantly depending on the plant species and the specific