Marine Polysaccharides An Applied Approach

Polysaccharides are long polymeric chains of carbohydrates. They are composed of monosaccharide units which are linked together by glycosidic linkages. These biomolecules react with water to form constituent sugars. Marine polysaccharides are carbohydrates of marine origin. These are sulfated polysaccharides which are produced by concomitant fixation of sulphur and carbon. Some common examples of marine polysaccharides are chitosan, chitin, carrageenan, fucoidan and alginate. These carbohydrates are gaining popularity as they have low extraction cost and are soluble in aqueous solution and extraction media. Seaweeds and exoskeletons of crustaceans are some of the major resources of marine polysaccharides. They find extensive application in the field of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals and tissue engineering. There has been rapid progress in this field and its applications are finding their way across multiple industries. The various advancements in the study of marine polysaccharides are glanced at and their applications as well as ramifications are looked at in detail. The topics covered in this book offer the readers new insights on marine polysaccharides.

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.

This book provides the whole spectrum of polysaccharides from basic concepts to commercial market applications. Chapters cover various types of sources, classification, properties, characterization, processing, rheology and fabrication of polysaccharide-based materials and their composites and gels. The applications of polysaccharides include in cosmetics, food science, drug delivery, biomedicine, biofuel production, marine, packaging, chromatography and environmental remediation. It also reviews the fabrication of inorganic and carbon nanomaterials from polysaccharides. The book incorporates industrial applications and will fill the gap between the exploration works in the laboratory and viable applications in related ventures.

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.

Seaweed Polysaccharides: Isolation, Biological, and Biomedical Applications examines the isolation and characterization of algal biopolymers, including a range of new biological and biomedical applications. In recent years, significant developments have been made in algae-based polymers (commonly called polysaccharides), and in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, wound dressings, and tissue engineering. Demand for algae-based polymers is increasing and represent a potential—very inexpensive—resource for these applications. The structure and chemical modification of algal polymers are covered, as well as the biological properties of these materials – including antithrombic, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antiviral aspects. Toxicity of algal biopolymers is also covered. Finally, the book introduces and explains real world applications of algal-based biopolymers in biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biosensors. This is the first book to cover the extraction techniques, biomedical applications, and the economic perspective of seaweed polysaccharides. It is an essential text for researchers and industry professionals looking to work with this renewable resource. Provides comprehensive coverage of the research currently taking place in biomedical applications of algae biopolymers Includes practical guidance on the isolation, extraction, and characterization of polysaccharides from sustainable marine sources Covers the extraction techniques, biomedical applications, and economic outlook of seaweed polysaccharides

Glycans play essential roles in diverse biological and etiological processes and their structural complexity endow various functions. The glycome is the entire set of glycans produced by an individual organism. As the glycan microarray emerged, a good amount of knowledge has been obtained in understanding the functions of glycans. However, limited accessibility of glycans is a major obstacle to the functional glycomics study. Although isolation from biology samples provided some structures, the low abundance of glycans obtained and the difficulty in complete structural assignment restricted the subsequent assay. To circumvent this limitation, many synthetic strategies, including chemical, enzymatic and chemo-enzymatic ones have been developed to make libraries of structurally defined complex glycans available. The glycans provided by these techniques combined with high-throughput glycoarray techniques have broadened and deepened our understanding about functional glycomics. The aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the synthetic glycome and a brief introduction of the application of the synthetic glycome in glycoarray assay. Accordingly, synthetic strategies toward generating glycans with comprehensive structures as well as the glycoarrays to unveil the glycan functions are described in this book.

In the post-genomic era, science is still challenged to explain the biosynthesis of complex polysaccharides and glycoconjugates. Unlike nucleic acids and proteins, the information needed for their biosynthesis is not clearly contained to this day within the genome of the various organisms. This means that no biosynthetic code has been revealed yet. As a result, there will be millions of structurally distinct, functional chemical species at the end of their biosynthesis. This book offers an up-to-date view on sulfated polysaccharide structure and function state of the art in different life kingdoms: bacteria, protista, plantae, fungi and animalia. The structure, activities and current thinking on the interplay between these two vital features (as well as ways to study them) are reviewed in the present book. The growing economical interest in sulfated polysaccharides due to their potential biotechnological use in different areas, such as pharmaceutical and food industries, are also commented on. The information within the chapters adds to other prior available literature; the intention of the authors was to extend and further develop the discussions related to glycobiology.

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