Polyelectrolyte properties of a plant and animal polysaccharide

The principal properties of polyelectrolytes in aqueous solution are reviewed; experimental data obtained about polysaccharides in our laboratory identify the main electrostatic interactions which occur between macromolecular chains, between ionic sites on isolated chains or between counterions and polyelectrolytes. Two examples are described. Hyaluronan, a linear alternated copolymer type with one anionic site per repeat unit, is very soluble in water, with a persistence length around 8 nm and a rheological behavior directly related to the molecular weight and polymer concentration in the presence of external monovalent electrolyte. The second example is that of pectin for which the influence of the charge density is studied. It exhibits an important ionic selectivity among divalent counterions in dilute solution with a dimer formation followed by aggregation and gelation.