Dextran (40,000)

Dextran (CAS No.: 9004-54-0) is a branched polysaccharide composed of glucose units and is widely classified as a biocompatible polymer used in biochemical and pharmaceutical research. Derived from microbial fermentation, dextran exhibits favorable physicochemical properties, including high aqueous solubility, biodegradability, and low intrinsic toxicity, making it a versatile material for experimental systems. Functionally, dextran is known to interfere with platelet aggregation and modulate coagulation-related processes, providing a useful tool for investigating hemostasis, thrombosis, and vascular biology pathways, although its precise molecular targets are not defined in terms of specific receptor binding but rather through physicochemical interactions with plasma components and cellular elements. In experimental settings, dextran and its defined molecular weight variants are frequently employed in studies of macromolecular crowding, drug delivery modeling, nanoparticle stabilization, and permeability assays, as well as in inflammation-related models such as edema induction. Reported biological effects are typically observed across concentration ranges from low micromolar to millimolar levels depending on molecular size and assay conditions. Additionally, dextran is commonly used as a matrix component in chromatography, as a carrier in conjugation strategies, and as a model polymer for studying transport and diffusion phenomena in vitro and in vivo, with dosing and application conditions varying according to specific experimental objectives.