Introduction
Carbohydrates consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with the last two elements hydrogen and oxygen usually present in the same proportion as in water. Carbohydrates arose as one of the products of photosynthesis. Carbohydrates constitute a large proportion of the plants biomass and are responsible as cellulose for rigid framework, and as starch for providing an important food reserve.
Applications of Carbohydrates in the pharmaceutical industries
- Sucrose are used as sweeteners in foods and drugs.
- Cotton wool are used as wound dressings.
- Carbohydrates in the form of oxidized cellulose, gelatin sponge and alginates are used as absorbable haemostatic dressings because they are non toxic and non irritant.
- Carbohydrates are used in cancer therapy as tumor targets.
- Used in Pharmaceutical research and laboratories to prepare agar as gelling agents and culture media.
- Carbohydrates obtained from marine algae (Carragenan isolated from red algae) showed anticoagulant properties 15 times less than that of heparin.
- Antioxidant;- Some marine fungus such as Keissleriella spp showed antioxidant properties.
- Antiviral:- Carbohydrates obtained from a marine organism, Gelidium cartilagenium possessed antiviral activity.