The chitosan/glucan complex isolated from the mycelia of the fungus, Gongronella butleri USDB 0201 can be cleaved with a heat-stable alpha-amylase at 65 degreesC for 3 h. This results in the removal of the glucan side chain and gives a chitosan solution with 100 times lower turbidity. It is proposed that chitosan and glucan chains are bound by an alpha(1 to 4) glucosidic bond. Both fungal chitosan and fungal glucan have been purified separately.