Widely used in the medical field as a plasma volume expander to treat or prevent shock following severe blood loss, surgery, or trauma. It helps maintain blood pressure and circulation by increasing plasma volume.

In pharmaceuticals, it serves as an excipient in drug formulations to improve stability, solubility, and controlled release of active ingredients.

Used in research and biotechnology as a coating agent to prevent non-specific binding in assays and as a stabilizer for proteins and cells.

Applied in the food industry as a thickener, stabilizer, or texturizer in various products.

Also utilized in chromatography as a medium for size-exclusion separation of molecules based on their size.

In ophthalmology, it is found in eye drops to relieve dry eye symptoms by providing lubrication and moisture retention.