DERIVATIZED AGAROSE PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES THEREFOR

Derivatized agarose products and a process for their preparation. The process of the invention can be carried out by: A) forming a solution of an agarose in an aqueous medium or in the C2-C5 polyol, B) contacting the above solution as in step B above to form a precipitate, C) isolating the precipitate from the solution, and D) reacting the precipitate with a derivatizing agent to produce a first derivatized agarose product, and optionally, E) contacting the solution resulting from step C with a quantity of an aqueous salt solution in amount sufficient to produce a second precipitate with a derivatizing agent to produce a second derivatized agarose product.