Structure and mechanical properties of polysaccharides

This article serves both as a review of polysaccharides as gelling and thickening agents and as an introduction to polysaccharides, other than starch and cellulose, their source and extraction, and how molecular detail is reflected in their macromolecular and supramolecular properties. The whole is summarised for workers in the synthetic polymer area interested in new "green" polymers. We also introduce results for a new polysaccharide extracted from a Nigerian tree pod, and describe details of its structural and physicochemical characterisation including light scattering and rheological measurements.