**1. Introduction**

554 The Complex World of Polysaccharides

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> Natural polysaccharides are used in a variety of applications due to their unique properties. These applications range from paper manufacturing to wound healing [1]. One interesting class of polysaccharides comprises 1,3-β-glucans, which are glucopyranose polysaccharides with (1,3) glycosidic linkages and varying degree of (1,6) branches [2]. 1,3-β-glucans can form single or triple helical structures, which can be used to synthesize resilient gels by applying heat and humidity [3,4]. The properties of these gels are governed by the structure of the polysaccharide, which is determined by the degree of branching and the molecular weight. Thus, controlling the microscopic structure allows control over the macroscopic function. This is especially advantageous in the field of drug delivery because the encapsulation of different agents can be facilitated by the use of different polysaccharides. The properties of 1,3-β-glucans can also be modified by covalently attaching functional units to the polysaccharide backbone [5].

> 1,3-β-glucans are derived from microbial [6] and fungal [2] sources and hence have innate immunomodulatory properties. When these 1,3-β-glucans are a component of the foreign pathogens, they can act as recognition sites for macrophages to facilitate the elimination and removal of these pathogens [7]. When extracted 1,3-β-glucans are administered to animals or humans, they recruit macrophages and stimulate the immune system through a similar mechanism [8,9]. This result has been utilized for various pharmacological applications including cancer inhibition [10-17], infection resistance [18-21] and wound healing [22-24]. Current research is focusing on combining the structural properties of 1,3-β-glucans with the pharmacological ones to further enhance the efficacy of hybrid systems thus created.
