Heparin Sodium Salt from Porcine, 100mg

Heparin is a polymer classified as a mucopolysaccharide or a glycosoaminoglycan. It is biosynthesized and stored in mast cells of various mammalian tissues, particularly liver, lung and mucosa. It is made up of repeated disaccharide units consisting of 1,4-linked L-iduronic acid and D-glucosamine. The iduronic acid residues are O-sulfated at position 2, and the glucosamine residues are N-sulfated and O-sulfated at position 6. The repeated block can be interrupted or extended by residues of beta-D-glucuronic acid and 6-O-sulfated N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosamine. Heparin is typically used as an anticoagulant, it binds to antithrombin III, a naturally occurring plasma protease inhibitor, accelerating the rate at which antithrombin III inhibits coagulation proteases (factor Xa and thrombin). The amount of heparin needed to prevent coagulation in whole blood is between 20 units and 50 units per ml of whole blood.