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Review
. 2008 Aug 12;13(8):1671-95.
doi: 10.3390/molecules13081671.

Fucoidan: structure and bioactivity

Bo Li  1 , Fei Lu, Xinjun Wei, Ruixiang Zhao
Affiliations
Review

Fucoidan: structure and bioactivity

Bo Li et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Fucoidan refers to a type of polysaccharide which contains substantial percentages of L-fucose and sulfate ester groups, mainly derived from brown seaweed. For the past decade fucoidan has been extensively studied due to its numerous interesting biological activities. Recently the search for new drugs has raised interest in fucoidans. In the past few years, several fucoidans' structures have been solved, and many aspects of their biological activity have been elucidated. This review summarizes the research progress on the structure and bioactivity of fucoidan and the relationships between structure and bioactivity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pankter model for the average structure of fucoidan.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Presumptive structure of fucoidan fraction F32 from Hizikia fusiforme.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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