FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (23): 370-380.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-20200705-055

• Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Recent Progress in the Biological Activity and Mechanism of Action of Sea Cucumber Polysaccharides

WANG Jingjie, ZHONG Qiang, DONG Chunhui, LI Haijing, WANG Hao, XIA Xiufang   

  1. (School of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China)
  • Online:2021-12-15 Published:2021-12-29

Abstract: Sea cucumbers are rich in polysaccharides, which account for more than 6% of the mass of dried sea cucumbers. Sea cucumber polysaccharides have a variety of biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-coagulation, anti-oxidation and anti-Parkinson functions, making them promising candidates for the development of dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. The structure characteristics of sea cucumber polysaccharides, such as molecular mass, sulfation patterns and sulfate group contents, have great impact on their biological activity. Therefore, studying the structure of sea cucumber polysaccharides is important for understanding their biological activity and action mechanism. In this article, the structural characteristics of sea cucumber polysaccharides are summarized. A special focus is put on the biological activities and action mechanisms of sea cucumber polysaccharides and the effects of their structures on biological activity. Finally, we conclude with some perspectives on the future development of sea cucumber polysaccharides. This review is expected to provide theoretical support for their deep processing and applications in the future.

Key words: sea cucumber polysaccharides; structure; sulfation patterns; biological activities; mechanisms of action

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