Design, Synthesis and Applications of Carbohydrate Polymers in Food

Dear Colleagues,

Carbohydrate polymers are a class of macromolecules widely distributed within the plant, animal and microbial kingdoms. Regarding their structure, carbohydrate polymers are insoluble and soluble polysaccharides with current or potential applications in different areas. Due to their non-toxicity, extensive accessibility and renewability, carbohydrate polymers have received increasing attention in recent years. Natural carbohydrate polymers from different sources usually show remarkable rheological properties, such as thickening, stabilizing, gelling and emulsifying properties, with application in the food industry as texture modifiers. On the other hand, natural carbohydrate polymers possess several health-promoting effects, such as antitumor activity, antioxidant activity, immunomodulatory activity and antidiabetic activity, as well as the role of prebiotics. Moreover, the structure and health-promoting effects of natural carbohydrate polymers can be improved via molecular design and synthesis through different means, which can greatly broaden the applications of carbohydrate polymers. The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather innovative ideas regarding the design, synthesis and applications of carbohydrate polymers in food.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The extraction and purification of natural carbohydrate polymers;
• The structural characterization and physical properties of natural carbohydrate polymers;
• The health-promoting effects and application of natural carbohydrate polymers in food;
• The molecular modification of natural carbohydrate polymers through rational design;
• New synthetic methods for carbohydrate polymer derivatives;
• The structural characterization and physical properties of carbohydrate polymer derivatives;
• The function and application of carbohydrate polymer derivatives in food.

Prof. Dr. Jun Liu
Guest Editor

Dr. Dan Chen
Dr. Chao Tang
Dr. Guiying Huang
Guest Editor Assistants

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