Polysaccharides from marine sources

Sea animals are rich in soluble dietary fibers, proteins, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with low caloric value. Polysaccharides from marine animals have been reported to possess biological activities with potential medicinal values in addition to their current status as a source of dietary fibers and prebiotics. Moreover, they have a lot of dietary fiber, which lowers blood cholesterol, and iodine, which improves metabolism, vascular and cardiac action, body temperature, and perspiration regulation, and are effective in... 

The red algae are lower plants, mostly from marine sources, that contain a wide diversity of sulfated polysaccharides in their cell walls and intercellular matrices, and... 

FIGURE 13.4. Chemical structures of polysaccharides obtained from marine sources. 

Na /Mg +/Cl ions were used instead. Temperatures in the range 20-28°C and a pH value of 7.5 were favored. Jensen and Fenical [71] recommended replacing the above traditional nutrient components by natural C and N sources, polysaccharides and proteins from marine eukaryotic systems. 

Carbohydrate polymers are a major constituent of all plants, the exoskeletons of various marine animals, and some microorganisms. Because up to three-quarters of the dry weight of plants consists of polysaccharides, it is not surprising that many polysaccharides are readily available at low cost. Polysaccharides, especially from plant sources, have served a variety of uses in mankind s history, ranging from basic necessities, such as food, clothing, and fuel, to paper and adhesives. 

The bioactIve secondary metabolites from several marine sources, sponges and tunica-tes (Kobayashl/lshibashi), sea plumes (Katz/Adamczeski) and ascidians (Bowdem) cover a broad range of different chemical structures, terpenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, steroids, alkaloids, cyclic peptides and polysaccharides. 

In the field of pharmacology, the biologically active polysaccharides (PSs) that are derived from natural sources have attained a special place for the development of drug lead molecules. Marine macroalgae contain a significant amount of soluble PSs and have potential function as dietary fiber. Specially, brown marine algae are known to produce fimctional PSs such as alginates and fucoidans. Seaweed-derived PSs have been... 

Marine algae are the most important source of polysaccharides and the chemical structure of the polymers varies according to the alga species. In recent years, various polysaccharides isolated from marine algae have been used in the fields of food, cosmetic, and pharmacology due to their beneficial biological activities, such as antivirus, anticoagulant. 

Many polysaccharides contain branched structures and are chemically modified by the addition of other molecules. Their monomeric or repeat units are often made up of more than one sugar molecule and, consequently, can be quite complex. They form protective capsules of some of the most virulent microorganisms, capsules that, nevertheless, carry information that activate mammalian defenses the immune, interferon, and properdin systems [9, 136]. They are found as key portions of the exoskeletons of insects and arthropods and cell walls of plants and microbes and perform as reserve foodstuffs and important components of intercellular, mucous secretions, synovial and ocular fluids, and blood serum in many organisms. Food Applications compiles recent data on the food applications of marine polysaccharides from such various sources as fishery products, microorganisms, seaweeds, microalgae, and corals [137, 138]. One of the applications of this biopolymer relates to a method for protecting against diseases induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, which comprises mucosal administration of a S. pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide to a patient in need. 

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