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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023This review provides a report on the properties and recent advances in the application of chitosan and chitosan-based materials in cosmetics. Chitosan is a... (Review)
Review
This review provides a report on the properties and recent advances in the application of chitosan and chitosan-based materials in cosmetics. Chitosan is a polysaccharide that can be obtained from chitin via the deacetylation process. Chitin most commonly is extracted from cell walls in fungi and the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as crustaceans and insects. Chitosan has attracted significant academic interest, as well as the attention of the cosmetic industry, due to its interesting properties, which include being a natural humectant and moisturizer for the skin and a rheology modifier. This review paper covers the structure of chitosan, the sources of chitosan used in the cosmetic industry, and the role played by this polysaccharide in cosmetics. Future aspects regarding applications of chitosan-based materials in cosmetics are also mentioned.
Topics: Animals; Chitosan; Chitin; Polysaccharides; Crustacea; Cosmetics; Biocompatible Materials
PubMed: 36838805
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041817 -
Biotechnology Advances Dec 2023The Streptococcus genus comprises both commensal and pathogenic species. Additionally, Streptococcus thermophilus is exploited in fermented foods and in probiotic... (Review)
Review
The Streptococcus genus comprises both commensal and pathogenic species. Additionally, Streptococcus thermophilus is exploited in fermented foods and in probiotic preparations. The ecological and metabolic diversity of members of this genus is matched by the complex range of cell wall polysaccharides that they present on their cell surfaces. These glycopolymers facilitate their interactions and environmental adaptation. Here, current knowledge on the genetic and compositional diversity of streptococcal cell wall polysaccharides including rhamnose-glucose polysaccharides, exopolysaccharides and teichoic acids is discussed. Furthermore, the species-specific cell wall polysaccharide combinations and specifically highlighting the presence of rhamnose-glucose polysaccharides in certain species, which are replaced by teichoic acids in other species. This review highlights model pathogenic and non-pathogenic species for which there is considerable information regarding cell wall polysaccharide composition, structure and genetic information. These serve as foundations to predict and focus research efforts in other streptococcal species for which such data currently does not exist.
Topics: Teichoic Acids; Rhamnose; Polysaccharides; Streptococcus; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Cell Wall; Glucose
PubMed: 37913948
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108279 -
Biomacromolecules Mar 2021With the increasing growth of the algae industry and the development of algae biorefinery, there is a growing need for high-value applications of algae-extracted... (Review)
Review
With the increasing growth of the algae industry and the development of algae biorefinery, there is a growing need for high-value applications of algae-extracted biopolymers. The utilization of such biopolymers in the biomedical field can be considered as one of the most attractive applications but is challenging to implement. Historically, polysaccharides extracted from seaweed have been used for a long time in biomedical research, for example, agarose gels for electrophoresis and bacterial culture. To overcome the current challenges in polysaccharides and help further the development of high-added-value applications, an overview of the entire polysaccharide journey from seaweed to biomedical applications is needed. This encompasses algae culture, extraction, chemistry, characterization, processing, and an understanding of the interactions of soft matter with living organisms. In this review, we present algae polysaccharides that intrinsically form hydrogels: alginate, carrageenan, ulvan, starch, agarose, porphyran, and (nano)cellulose and classify these by their gelation mechanisms. The focus of this review further lays on the culture and extraction strategies to obtain pure polysaccharides, their structure-properties relationships, the current advances in chemical backbone modifications, and how these modifications can be used to tune the polysaccharide properties. The available techniques to characterize each organization scale of a polysaccharide hydrogel are presented, and the impact on their interactions with biological systems is discussed. Finally, a perspective of the anticipated development of the whole field and how the further utilization of hydrogel-forming polysaccharides extracted from algae can revolutionize the current algae industry are suggested.
Topics: Alginates; Carrageenan; Hydrogels; Polysaccharides; Seaweed
PubMed: 33577286
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01406 -
Marine Drugs Oct 2021Brown algae () have been consumed by humans for hundreds of years. Current studies have shown that brown algae are rich sources of bioactive compounds with excellent... (Review)
Review
Brown algae () have been consumed by humans for hundreds of years. Current studies have shown that brown algae are rich sources of bioactive compounds with excellent nutritional value, and are considered functional foods with health benefits. Polysaccharides are the main constituents of brown algae; their diverse structures allow many unique physical and chemical properties that help to moderate a wide range of biological activities, including immunomodulation, antibacterial, antioxidant, prebiotic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antitumor, and anticoagulant activities. In this review, we focus on the major polysaccharide components in brown algae: the alginate, laminarin, and fucoidan. We explore how their structure leads to their health benefits, and their application prospects in functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Finally, we summarize the latest developments in applied research on brown algae polysaccharides.
Topics: Animals; Aquatic Organisms; Functional Food; Glucans; Phaeophyceae; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 34822491
DOI: 10.3390/md19110620 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2008Fucoidan 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... (Review)
Review
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.
Topics: Anticoagulants; Blood Coagulation; Humans; Molecular Structure; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 18794778
DOI: 10.3390/molecules13081671 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022In this study, we developed a method to fabricate chitosan-based network polysaccharides via the condensation between amino groups in water-soluble chitosan (WSCS) and a...
In this study, we developed a method to fabricate chitosan-based network polysaccharides via the condensation between amino groups in water-soluble chitosan (WSCS) and a carboxylate-terminated maltooligosaccharide crosslinker. We previously reported on the fabrication of network-polysaccharide-based macroscopic hydrogels via the chemical crosslinking of water-soluble chitin (WSCh) with the crosslinker. Because the molecular weight of the WSCS was much smaller than that of the WSCh, in the present investigation, the chemical crosslinking of the WSCS with the crosslinker was observed at the nanoscale upon the condensation between amino and carboxylate groups in the presence of a condensing agent, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride, and -hydroxysuccinimide, affording nano-sized chitosan-based network polysaccharides. The occurrence of the crosslinking via the formation of amido linkages was supported by the IR analysis and H NMR measurements after the dissolution via acid hydrolysis in DCl/DO. The products formed nanogels, whose sizes depended on the amino/carboxylate feed ratio. The nanoscale morphology and size of the products were evaluated via scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering analyses, and transition electron microscopy. In the present study, we successfully developed the method to fabricate nanogel materials based on network polysaccharide structures, which can practically be applied as new polysaccharide-based 3D bionanomaterials.
Topics: Chitosan; Polysaccharides; Hydrogels; Molecular Weight; Water
PubMed: 36500476
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238384 -
International Journal of... 2021Tremella polysaccharide is known to be structurally unique and biologically active natural products, abundant and versatile in activities and applications in food... (Review)
Review
Tremella polysaccharide is known to be structurally unique and biologically active natural products, abundant and versatile in activities and applications in food industry, daily chemical industry and medicine industry. In order to improve the industrialisation of Tremella polysaccharide, the limitations of preparation and structure-activity relationship of Tremella polysaccharide were reviewed in this paper. The research progress of Tremella polysaccharide in the past 20 years was summarized from the sources, preparation methods, molecular structure, activity and application, and the research trend in the future was also prospected. The application prospect of Tremella polysaccharide in against multiple sub-health states was worth expecting.
Topics: Animals; Basidiomycota; Fungal Polysaccharides; Humans
PubMed: 33858263
DOI: 10.1177/20587384211000541 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2020Chemotherapy is still the most direct and effective means of cancer therapy nowadays. The proposal of drug delivery systems (DDSs) has effectively improved many... (Review)
Review
Chemotherapy is still the most direct and effective means of cancer therapy nowadays. The proposal of drug delivery systems (DDSs) has effectively improved many shortcomings of traditional chemotherapy drugs. The technical support of DDSs lies in their excellent material properties. Polysaccharides include a series of natural polymers, such as chitosan, hyaluronic acid, and alginic acid. These polysaccharides have good biocompatibility and degradability, and they are easily chemical modified. Therefore, polysaccharides are ideal candidate materials to construct DDSs, and their clinical application prospects have been favored by researchers. On the basis of versatile types of polysaccharides, this review elaborates their applications from strategic design to cancer therapy. The construction and modification methods of polysaccharide-based DDSs are specifically explained, and the latest research progress of polysaccharide-based DDSs in cancer therapy are also summarized. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference for the design and preparation of polysaccharide-based DDSs with excellent performance.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Chitosan; Drug Carriers; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Design; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid; Hydrogels; Polymers; Polysaccharides; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 33271967
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239159 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2019Seaweeds are some of the largest producers of biomass in the marine environment and are rich in bioactive compounds that are often used for human and animal health.... (Review)
Review
Seaweeds are some of the largest producers of biomass in the marine environment and are rich in bioactive compounds that are often used for human and animal health. Porphyran and carrageenan are natural compounds derived from red seaweeds. The former is a characteristic polysaccharide of , while the latter is well known from , , and various species, all in Rhodophyceae. The two polysaccharides have been found to have anti-cancer activity by improving immunity and targeting key apoptotic molecules and therefore deemed as potential chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agents. This review attempts to review the current study of anti-cancer activity and the possible mechanisms of porphyran and carrageenan derived from red seaweeds to various cancers, and their cooperative actions with other anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents is also discussed.
Topics: Carrageenan; Humans; Immunity; Neoplasms; Polysaccharides; Seaweed; Sepharose
PubMed: 31775255
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24234286 -
Nutrients May 2022Liver disease is a global health burden with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Liver injuries can develop into severe end-stage diseases, such as cirrhosis or... (Review)
Review
Liver disease is a global health burden with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Liver injuries can develop into severe end-stage diseases, such as cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, without valid treatment. Therefore, identifying novel drugs may promote liver disease treatment. Phytochemicals, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes, are abundant in foods and medicinal plants and have various bioactivities, such as antioxidation, immunoregulation, and tumor killing. Recent studies have shown that many natural polysaccharides play protective roles in liver disease models in vitro and in vivo, such as fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, drug-induced liver injury, and liver cancer. The mechanisms of liver disease are complex. Notably, ferroptosis, a new type of cell death driven by iron and lipid peroxidation, is considered to be the key mechanism in many hepatic pathologies. Therefore, polysaccharides and other types of phytochemicals with activities in ferroptosis regulation provide novel therapeutic strategies for ferroptosis-related liver diseases. This review summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms of ferroptosis and liver injury and compelling preclinical evidence of natural bioactive polysaccharides and phytochemicals in treating liver disease.
Topics: Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Ferroptosis; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation; Phytochemicals; Polysaccharides
PubMed: 35684103
DOI: 10.3390/nu14112303