ANTICOAGULANT ACTIVITY OF FUNCTIONALIZED DEXTRANS, STRUCTURE ANALYSESOF CARBOXYMETHYLATED DEXTRAN AND FIRST MONTE-CARLO SIMULATIONS

During the last decade the synthesis and heparin-like properties of Ca rboxymethyl Dextran Benzylamide Sulfonate (CMDBS) have been investigat ed extensively. The carboxymethylation of the sugar hydroxyl groups of dextrans is the first and determining step during the CMDBS synthesis . The kinetics of this reaction as well as the structure of the result ing carboxymethylated compounds (CMD) have been investigated by joint ID and 2D H-1/C-13 NMR spectroscopies. Using the corresponding data wi thin kinetic equations provided 9 rate coefficients of carboxymethylat ion. At the same time Monte Carlo simulations of the CMDBS structures taking the NMR data and making some simplified assumptions allowed the analysis of the subsequent benzylamidification and sulfonation steps. Structure-function relationships, based on the preliminarly Monte Car lo results and anticoagulant properties of CMDBS, indicated that the a nticoagulant activity of these compounds can be explained in terms of units distribution along the polymer chain.