Merck, D8906-50G, Dextran sulfate sodium salt from Leuconostoc spp.

Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) is a synthetic sulfated derivative of dextran, a complex polysaccharide composed of glucose molecules. DSS is characterized as a biocompatible, highly branched polysaccharide with 1–6 and 1–4 glycosidic linkages, featuring approximately 2.3 sulfate groups per glucosyl unit. Dextran sulfate is a sulfated polysaccharide with a variable molecular weight ranging from 5 to 1,400 kDa. It finds extensive use in molecular biology and biochemical research, with a particular emphasis on gastrointestinal investigations.DSS is widely recognized for its ability to induce colonic inflammation in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is widely recognized for its capacity to induce colonic inflammation in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by creating models of acute, chronic, and relapsing IBD, by adjusting its concentration and administration frequency. Furthermore, Dextran sulfate is applied in various molecular biology techniques, such as precipitating lipoproteins, accelerating DNA probe hybridization, and facilitating ribosomal isolations. Notably, DSS serves as a valuable cross-linker for chitosan, allowing for the creation of microparticles and nanoparticles used in controlled drug delivery systems. Beyond these applications, DSS plays a central role in diverse research areas, particularly immunology and virology, where it actively modulates immune responses, enhances humoral immunity, influences B-lymphocyte activation, and affects thymocyte reactivity to lectins.