Polysaccharides: Low Molecular Weight Heparins Used as Anticoagulants

Heparin is well-known as an anti-coagulant, anti-thrombotic drug. Chemically, it is a linear polysaccharide that is derived from animal tissues. For some time it has been known that heparin is not a homogeneous substance; rather, it is a heterogeneous mixture of molecules ranging in molar mass from less than 5,000 to more than 30,000 Daltons. Heparin can be chemically or enzymatically depolymerized to obtain low molecular weight (LMW) heparin products, which exhibit an improved pharmacological profile.