TY - JOUR
T1 - Bioactivity and applications of sulphated polysaccharides from marine microalgae
AU - Raposo, Maria Filomena de Jesus
AU - Morais, Rui Manuel Santos Costa de
AU - Morais, Alcina Maria Miranda Bernardo de
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - Marine microalgae have been used for a long time as food for humans, such as Arthrospira (formerly, Spirulina), and for animals in aquaculture. The biomass of these microalgae and the compounds they produce have been shown to possess several biological applications with numerous health benefits. The present review puts up-to-date the research on the biological activities and applications of polysaccharides, active biocompounds synthesized by marine unicellular algae, which are, most of the times, released into the surrounding medium (exo- or extracellular polysaccharides, EPS). It goes through the most studied activities of sulphated polysaccharides (sPS) or their derivatives, but also highlights lesser known applications as hypolipidaemic or hypoglycaemic, or as biolubricant agents and drag-reducers. Therefore, the great potentials of sPS from marine microalgae to be used as nutraceuticals, therapeutic agents, cosmetics, or in other areas, such as engineering, are approached in this review.
AB - Marine microalgae have been used for a long time as food for humans, such as Arthrospira (formerly, Spirulina), and for animals in aquaculture. The biomass of these microalgae and the compounds they produce have been shown to possess several biological applications with numerous health benefits. The present review puts up-to-date the research on the biological activities and applications of polysaccharides, active biocompounds synthesized by marine unicellular algae, which are, most of the times, released into the surrounding medium (exo- or extracellular polysaccharides, EPS). It goes through the most studied activities of sulphated polysaccharides (sPS) or their derivatives, but also highlights lesser known applications as hypolipidaemic or hypoglycaemic, or as biolubricant agents and drag-reducers. Therefore, the great potentials of sPS from marine microalgae to be used as nutraceuticals, therapeutic agents, cosmetics, or in other areas, such as engineering, are approached in this review.
KW - EPS
KW - Marine microalgae
KW - SPS
KW - Sulphated (exo)polysaccharides
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873157312&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/md11010233
DO - 10.3390/md11010233
M3 - Review article
C2 - 23344113
AN - SCOPUS:84873157312
SN - 1660-3397
VL - 11
SP - 233
EP - 252
JO - Marine Drugs
JF - Marine Drugs
IS - 1
ER -