It is theorized that this change in efficacy is related to the absence of L-induronic acid, which affects the flexibility of the polymer chain.
[2] Acharan sulfate is a heparinoid that is naturally produced by the giant African land snail, Lissachatina fulica.
[2] Chitin, a component of insect shells and fungal structures, can be de-N-acetylated to form chitosan, which when sulfated has a significant chemical similarity to heparin.
Lepirudin is a recombinant preparation of the polypeptide anticoagulant secreted by leeches and is used in patients with heparin induced thrombocytopenia.
Jorpes discovered the structure of the heparin polysaccharide in 1935, identifying that it is a highly sulfated polymer of glycosaminoglycoglycan (GAG) and uronic acid.
Position of N-acetyl, N-sulfate, and O-sulfate groups in these uronic acids can vary, as can the branching patterns of the chain.