Biological Activities And Application Of Marine Polysaccharides

Marine organisms have been under research for the last decades as a source for different active compounds with various biological activities and application in agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, environment, and industries. Marine polysaccharides from these active compounds are used as antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, bioremediations, etc. During the last three decades, several important factors that control the production of phytoplankton polysaccharides have been identified such as chemical concentrations, temperature, light, etc. The current book includes 14 chapters contributed by experts around the world; the chapters are categorized into three sections: Marine Polysaccharides and Agriculture, Marine Polysaccharides and Biological Activities, and Marine Polysaccharides and Industries.

In the past few decades, marine organisms, including macroalgae and microalgae, have been extensively explored as potential sources of bioactive compounds with applications in various fields such as pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, cosmetics and foodstuffs. Marine polysaccharides, such as chitin/chitosan, ulvans, fucans, alginates and carrageenans, are biochemical compounds with several important properties such as anticoagulant and/or antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, antitumor, antilipidemic, hypoglycemic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Due to their biocompatible, nontoxic and biodegradable nature, marine polysaccharides offer a better alternative to be used in advancement of the biomedical field. This book focuses on marine polysaccharides; their derivatives, blends, composites and hydrogels; and their multifaceted applications in various fields. The book also discusses the various aspects of marine polysaccharides from the point of view of chemistry and related applications. It is an important reference for marine biotechnologists, natural product scientists, students, researchers and academicians working in the area of materials science, marine science and polymer chemistry.

Marine Carbohydrates: Fundamentals and Applications brings together the diverse range of research in this important area which leads to clinical and industrialized products. The volume, number 73, focuses on marine carbohydrates in isolation, biological, and biomedical applications and provides the latest trends and developments on marine carbohydrates. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research recognizes the integral relationship between the food and nutritional sciences and brings together outstanding and comprehensive reviews that highlight this relationship. Volumes provide those in academia and industry with the latest information on emerging research in these constantly evolving sciences. Includes the isolation techniques for the exploration of the marine habitat for novel polysaccharides Discusses biological applications such as antioxidant, antiallergic, antidiabetic, antiobesity and antiviral activity of marine carbohydrates Provides an insight into present trends and approaches for marine carbohydrates

The bioactivity potential of marine polysaccharides has long been considered an underexploited aspect. These molecules found in seaweed, microalgae, bacteria, and animal fish (shellfish, mollusks, etc.) and the derived oligosaccharides need to be explored thoroughly with an interdisciplinary approach. They are an extraordinary source of chemical diversity, and the literature highlights many applicative fields, including the food industry, cosmetics, biomedicine, agriculture, environmental protection, wastewater management, etc. More recently, a new challenge has emerged: the exploitation of marine biomass as the source of sustainable energy to participate in the future replacement of fossil resources. Enzymatic Technologies for Marine Polysaccharides provides insight into the recent research developments of marine polysaccharides and their current and potential applications. The first section of the book explores the diversity of marine polysaccharides from various angles, including a description of the chemical complexity and current applications and new perspectives in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and biomaterials offered by recent research. Efficient valorization of the marine polysaccharide biomass requires a rigorous analysis of the polysaccharides structure and their biological properties. The second section of the book concerns the development of extraction techniques and the improvement of the methods aimed at the characterization of their structure and function. Finally, the third and last section of the book articulates the enzymatic technologies from the discovery of novel enzymes to their production pipelines related to the fields of biorefinery, food, pharmaceutics, and other fine chemicals. Presents the latest research in marine oligosaccharides and polysaccharides Written by world-class researchers in marine enzyme technology Discusses the latest developments in extraction methods Presents a detailed overview of enzymatic routes for modification, production, and synthesis of marine oligosaccharides Contains extensive references at the end of each chapter to enhance further study

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Marine Polysaccharides" that was published in Marine Drugs

Oceans include the greatest extremes of pressure, temperature and light, and habitats can range from tropical waters to ocean trenches, several kilometers below sea level at high pressure. With its 70% of the surface of our planet marine ecosystem still remains largely unexplored, understudied and underexploited in comparison with terrestrial ecosystems, organisms and bioprocesses. The biological adaptation of marine organisms to a wide range of environmental conditions in the specific environment (temperature, salinity, tides, pressure, radiation, light, etc.) has made them an enormous reservoir of interesting biological material for both basic research and biotechnological improvements. As a consequence marine ecosystem is valued as a source of enzymes and other biomolecules exhibiting new functions and activities to fulfill human needs. Indeed, in recent years it has been recognised as an untapped source of novel enzymes and metabolites even though, with regard to the assignment of precise biological functions to genes, proteins and enzymes, it is still considered as the least developed. Using metagenomics to recover genetic material directly from environmental samples, this biogenetic diversification can be accessed but despite the contributions from metagenomic technologies the new field requires major improvements. A few words on the complexity of marine environments should be added here. This complexity ranges from symbiotic relationships to biology and chemistry of defence mechanisms and from chemoecology of marine invasions up to the strategies found in prokaryotes to adapt to extreme environments. The interdisciplinary study of this complexity will enable researchers to find an arsenal of enzymes and pathways greatly demanded in biotechnological applications. As far as marine enzymes are concerned they may carry novel chemical and stereochemical properties, thus biocatalytically oriented studies (testing of suitable substrates, appropriate checking of reaction conditions, study of stereochemical asset of catalysis) should be performed to appropriately reveal this “chemical biodiversity” which increases interest for these enzymes. Among other biomolecules, polysaccharides are the most abundant renewable biomaterial found on land and in oceans. Their molecular diversity is very interesting; except polysaccharides used traditionally in food and non-food industries, the structure and the functionality of most of them are unknown and unexplored. Brown seaweeds synthesize unique bioactive polysaccharides: laminarans, alginic acids and fucoidans. A wide range of biological activities (anticoagulant, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammation, etc.) have been attributed to fucoidans and their role with respect to structure-activity relationship is still under debate. In this Research Topic, we wish to centralize and review contributions, idea and comments related to the issues above. In particular results of enzymatic bioprospecting in gross marine environment will be acknowledged along with research for structural characterization and biological function of biomolecules such as marine polysaccharides and all kind of research related to the complexity of bioprocesses in marine environments. Inter- and multi-disciplinary approach to this field is favoured in this Research Topic and could greatly be facilitated by the web and open access nature as well.

Increased public awareness of the importance of healthy living presents new challenges for the commercial food processing sector. The industry is always on the hunt for novel and safe additives with functional properties that can be used to impart healthy and appealing properties to foods. While the ocean is known as a conventional source of fish proteins and lipids, it is yet to be tapped as a source of polysaccharides. A clear exposition on how these resources can be developed, Marine Polysaccharides: Food Applications compiles recent data on the food applications of marine polysaccharides from such diverse sources as fishery products, seaweeds, microalgae, microorganisms, and corals. The book begins with discussions on the isolation of polysaccharides from marine sources and their properties, particularly those important from a food technology point of view. It then focuses on the actual food applications of these compounds and concludes with a brief examination of biomedical applications. The author presents an overview of the general functional properties of polysaccharides, including their structure; their hydration, gelation, emulsification, and rheological properties; and interactions among themselves and with other food components such as proteins that are relevant to food processing. He then explores the isolation and food-related properties of various marine polysaccharides, use of these polysaccharides in food product and biopackaging, recent developments in composite films and nanotechnology, and safety and regulatory issues. While there are many books available on polysaccharides, few address the applications of marine polysaccharide food product development. Written from a realistic, practical point of view avoiding technical jargon, this book highlights the ocean not as a conventional source of fish protein and lipids, but as a major supplier of versatile carbohydrates that can have diverse food applications.