On the interaction between polysaccharides and other macromolecules

Abstract

Advantage has been taken of the macromoleculer-sieve effect of hyaluronic acid to increase resolution in the ultracentrifuge. Substances, which normally sediment at the same rate in salt solutions because of a similarity in their sedimentation coefficients can be separated in hyaluronic acid media if they differ in size and shape. By selecting suitable concentrations of hyaluronic acid it has proved possible to separate fibrinogen from γ-globulin; albumin from dextran; and a colloidal silica from a polystyrene latex. Like procedures revealed and unsuspected inhomogeneity in a dextran preparation and served to resolve the polyglucose into two fractions.