Abstract: There is described a polycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof obtained by oxidation of a polysaccharide containing an anhydrous glucose as a constituent unit, wherein the carboxyl group content thereof is high and the weight average molecular weight thereof is not less than 2000. This polycarboxylic acid is suitable for use as a builder for detergent because the amount of an alkali required to perform neutralization titration of the polycarboxylic acid is not less than 435 mg in terms of sodium hydroxide and because the chelate force thereof to a polyvalent cation is high.The polycarboxylic acid is produced by oxidizing a polysaccharide with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a transition metal catalyst.

Abstract: A liquid detergent composition comprising:(a) 5 to 50% by weight of a surfactant;(b) 1 to 30% by weight of a zeolite; and(c) 0.1 to 5% by weight of (i) a copolymer containing copolymerized components having the formulae (I) and (II) and a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more; or (ii) a copolymer containing the copolymerized components having the formulae (III), (IV), and (V): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.2 represents hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.3 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms,R.sup.4 represents hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.5 represents hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.6 represents hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.7 represents methyl or ethyl,R.sup.8 represents an alkyl or alkenyl having 3 to 24 carbon atoms,M and M' represents hydrogen or a counter ion, andm/n is 2/8 to 7/3 (mol ratio).p/q is 2/8 to 8/2 (mol ratio) and r/(p+q+r)=1/50 to 20/50 (mol ratio).