CARBOHYDRATES AS MEDICINES - GLYCOSCIENCE: OLIGOSACCHARIDES AS DRUGS, FUNCTIONAL FOODS, AND RECEPTORS IN THE GUT

The emerging use of specific oligosaccharides for the development of new drugs and new functional prebiotic foods is reviewed. One important gut function is to act as alternative receptors for bacterial lectins. Their presence on mucosal gut surfaces results in modification of normal patterns of bacterial adhesion to mucosal epithelial surfaces, and thus prevents the establishment in the gut of infectious disease organisms. They are also being developed as novel glycotherapeutics for cancer cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and wound healing, and for immunomodulation, as well as for use in infant milk formula This paper lists the main commercial developments world-wide by specialist glycoscience companies to date, and provides a listing of such companies. Information is also provided on companies offering custom analytical services for oligosaccharides and glycosylated products, and of those supplying specific oligosaccharides and related products to researchers and drug development companies.