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Review
. 2021 Nov 23;26(23):7068.
doi: 10.3390/molecules26237068.

Bioactive Carbohydrate Polymers-Between Myth and Reality

Maroua Drira  1 , Faiez Hentati  2 , Olga Babich  3 , Stanislas Sukhikh  3 , Viktoria Larina  3 , Sana Sharifian  4 , Ahmad Homai  4 , Imen Fendri  1 , Marco F L Lemos  5 , Carina Félix  5 , Rafael Félix  5 , Slim Abdelkafi  6 , Philippe Michaud  7
Affiliations
Review

Bioactive Carbohydrate Polymers-Between Myth and Reality

Maroua Drira et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Polysaccharides are complex macromolecules long regarded as energetic storage resources or as components of plant and fungal cell walls. They have also been described as plant mucilages or microbial exopolysaccharides. The development of glycosciences has led to a partial and difficult deciphering of their other biological functions in living organisms. The objectives of glycobiochemistry and glycobiology are currently to correlate some structural features of polysaccharides with some biological responses in the producing organisms or in another one. In this context, the literature focusing on bioactive polysaccharides has increased exponentially during the last two decades, being sometimes very optimistic for some new applications of bioactive polysaccharides, notably in the medical field. Therefore, this review aims to examine bioactive polysaccharide, taking a critical look of the different biological activities reported by authors and the reality of the market. It focuses also on the chemical, biochemical, enzymatic, and physical modifications of these biopolymers to optimize their potential as bioactive agents.

Keywords: bioactive agent; macromolecules; oligosaccharide; polysaccharide.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the general immune response of plants under algae polysaccharides treatments. SA: Salicylic acid; JA: Jasmonic acid; ET: Ethylene.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The diversity of polysaccharides extracted and carriers developed from marine sources and potential pharmaceutical functions.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Algal polysaccharides in food and feed industry.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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