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The cyanobacterial polysaccharide sacran: characteristics, structures, and preparation of LC gels

Polymer Journal volume 53, pages 81–91 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

To shift from a petroleum-dependent society to a sustainable society using eco-friendly materials, polysaccharides from natural products are important candidates as alternative materials. We have researched one cyanobacterial polysaccharide, “sacran”, which is extracted from Aphanothece sacrum. In this review, the unique characteristics and structures of sacran and the preparation of liquid crystal gels are introduced: polymer properties such as megamolecular weight, that is, a weight > 107 g/mol; characteristic viscosity; liquid crystallinity (LC); fiber structures on the nanometer/micrometer scale; gel formation with heavy metal ions; photoshrinking in gels composed of metal ions; anisotropically swelling gels; orientation upon drying of the air-LC interface; meniscus splitting; and membrane formation with uniaxial orientation, which are the results of self-organization. These matters are discussed particularly from the perspectives of polymer science, colloidal science, gel science, etc. We expect that sacran will be applicable in a variety of fields, such as tissue engineering, pharmacodynamics, and biomedical materials, with possible contributions to the development of a sustainable material society.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely appreciate the great efforts of Dr. Kittima Amornwachirabodee, Dr. Saranyoo Sornkamnerd, Dr. Gargi Joshi, and Ph.D. students. The authors gratefully acknowledge Green Science Material, Inc. (Kumamoto, Japan), Kisendou Corporation (Asakura, Japan), and Kawatake Ganso Endo Kanagawado G.K. (Asakura, Japan) for gifting Aphanothece sacrum biomaterials. The research was financially supported by a Grant-in-Aid from A-step, (AS2915173U) of JST, Japan, and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (JP20H05213) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.

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  1. Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa, 923-1292, Japan

    Kosuke Okeyoshi, Maiko K. Okajima & Tatsuo Kaneko

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  1. Kosuke Okeyoshi
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Okeyoshi, K., Okajima, M.K. & Kaneko, T. The cyanobacterial polysaccharide sacran: characteristics, structures, and preparation of LC gels. Polym J 53, 81–91 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-020-00426-2

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