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Review
. 2021 May 16;13(5):733.
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13050733.

Seaweed Sulfated Polysaccharides against Respiratory Viral Infections

Mehwish Jabeen  1 , Mélody Dutot  2 , Roxane Fagon  2 , Bernard Verrier  1 , Claire Monge  1
Affiliations
Review

Seaweed Sulfated Polysaccharides against Respiratory Viral Infections

Mehwish Jabeen et al. Pharmaceutics. .

Abstract

Respiratory viral infections have been a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite massive advancements in the virology field, no specific treatment exists for most respiratory viral infections. Approved therapies against respiratory viruses rely almost exclusively on synthetic drugs that have potential side effects, restricting their use. This review aims to present natural marine sulfated polysaccharides possessing promising antiviral activity against respiratory viruses that could be a safe alternative to synthetic broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. The antiviral properties of marine sulfated polysaccharides are presented according to their mechanism of action on different types and strains of respiratory viruses, and the potential limits of their use are discussed.

Keywords: antiviral activity; approved antivirals; mechanism of action; respiratory virus; seaweed; sulfated polysaccharide.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.D. and R.F. are employees of Yslab. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Symptoms related to viral respiratory tract infections.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mechanism of action of seaweed sulfated polysaccharides at various stages of the viral cycle.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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