Issue 22, 2013

Fucoidans from brown seaweeds: an update on structures, extraction techniques and use of enzymes as tools for structural elucidation

Abstract

Fucoidan or fucoidans cover a family of sulfated fucose-rich polysaccharides, built of a backbone of L-fucose units, and characteristically found in brown seaweeds. Fucoidans have potential therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant activities, as well as anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. Recent work has revealed distinct structural features of fucoidans obtained from different brown seaweed sources. Fucoidans are classically obtained from brown seaweeds by multi-step, hot acid extraction, but the structural and compositional traits, and possibly the bioactivity, of the fucoidan polysaccharides are significantly influenced by the extraction parameters. This review discusses the structural features of fucoidans, the significance of different extraction technologies, and reviews enzymatic degradation of fucoidans and the use of fucoidan-modifying enzymes for elucidating structural details of fucoidans. Mild extraction techniques coupled with the use of new tools such as enzymes can provide the much needed knowledge about structural characteristics of different fucoidan molecules and thus pave the way for a better understanding of the structural chemistry and bioactivities of fucoidans.

Graphical abstract: Fucoidans from brown seaweeds: an update on structures, extraction techniques and use of enzymes as tools for structural elucidation

  • This article is part of the themed collection: Biomaterials

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
17 Dec. 2012
Accepted
10 Febr. 2013
First published
11 Febr. 2013
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2013,3, 8131-8141

Fucoidans from brown seaweeds: an update on structures, extraction techniques and use of enzymes as tools for structural elucidation

M. T. Ale and A. S. Meyer, RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 8131 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA23373A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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