Xylan

For the industrial coating, see Xylan (coating).

Structure

Xylan (CAS number:9014-63-5) is a generic term used to describe a wide variety of highly complex polysaccharides that are found in plant cell walls and some algae. Xylans are polysaccharides made from units of xylose (a pentose sugar).

Xylan is found in the cell walls of some green algae, especially macrophytic siphonous genera, where it replaces cellulose. Similarly, it replaces the inner fibrillar cell-wall layer of cellulose in some red algae.

Xylan is one of the foremost anti-nutritional factors in common use feedstuff raw materials.