Fucoidans as Scientifically and Commercially Important Algal Polysaccharides

Sulfated polysaccharides fucoidans from brown algae

The immunotropic activity of structurally different fucoidans and their derivatives towards isolated immune blood cells, effectors of innate immune system, was studied. The most potent effect was observed for high molecular weight fucoidan CF from the alga Chordaria flagelliformis, whose backbone is built of (1→3)-linked units of α-L-fucopyranose, and branches included residues of α-D-glucuroni...

Algal Polysaccharides: Properties and Applications

Bioactive polymers mainly polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitin, amylose and beta-glucan are well discovered from various sources in nature. Amongst chitin, as the second most abundant polysaccharides after cellulose, is known as a highly insoluble polysaccharide consisting of β-4-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, which has been identified as a structural component of crustaceans, crabs, shrim...

Organic derivatives of algal polysaccharides

A survey of organic derivatives of commercially important red seaweed polysaccharides is presented. The most important applications of soluble polysaccharides extracted from seaweeds utilize their ability to modify the properties of aqueous solutions. The presence of natural substituents and synthetic derivatives have broadened the area of applicability of phycocolloids. The ability of polysacc...

Algal Polysaccharides, Novel Applications and Outlook

Marine algae contain large amounts of polysaccharides, notably cell wall structural, but also mycopolysaccharides and storage polysaccharides (Kumar et al. 2008b; Murata and Nakazoe 2001). Polysaccharides are polymers of simple sugars (monosaccharides) linked together by glycosidic bonds, and they have numerous commercial applications in products such as stabilisers, thickeners, emulsifiers, fo...

Commercially Important Catadromous Fish