Preparation and biological application of highly substituted cationic derivatives of polysaccharides

A general procedure is presented for the preparation of diethylaminohydroxylpropyl ethers of polysaccharides. This involves reaction between various ratios of 1-diethylamino-2,3-epoxypropane and the polysaccharide (amylose, amylopectin, dextran, and a chemically synthesized polygalactose) and concentrated aqueous solution of sodium carbonate. These ratios control the degree of substitution, and give as high as 1.4 cationic groups per monosaccharide unit in the case of certain polysaccharides. The cationic polysaccharides possess high hemagglutinating activity which is proportional to the degree of substitution. Other biological applications are reviewed.