Polysaccharides isolated from flaxseed meals using ethanol consisted of a soluble (similar to 7.5% w/w) and an insoluble fraction (2% w/w). The soluble fraction was dialyzed in various salt concentrations and characterized using viscometry and light scattering techniques. Observations using a size-exclusion column coupled to a multiangle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) revealed three molecular weight fractions consisting of a small amount (similar to 17%) of large molecular weight species (1.0 x 10(6)) and a large amount (similar to 69%) of small molecular weight species (3.1 x 10(5) Da). Dynamic light scattering measurements indicated the presence of very small molecules (hydrodynamic radius approximate to 10 nm) and a very large molecular species (hydrodynamic radius in excess of 100 nm); the latter were probably aggregates. The intrinsic viscosity, [eta], of the polysaccharide in Milli-Q water was 1030 +/- 20 mL/g. The viscosity was due largely to the large molecular weight species since viscosity is influenced by the hydrodynamic volume of molecules in solution. The Smidsrod parameter B obtained was similar to 0.018, indicating that the molecules adopted a semi-flexible conformation. This was also indicated by the slope (similar to 0.56) from the plot of root-mean-square (RMS) radius versus molar mass (M-w).