Abstract:

Sulfated polysaccharides is a class of macromolecular bioactive compounds with saccharide hydroxyl groups
containing sulfate ions which have a variety of important biological functions such as antitumor activity. The antitumor
activity of sulfated polysaccharides is highly associated with their structural characteristics, such as degree of substitution,
molecular weight and the substitute positions for sulfate groups. In recent years, the molecular mechanisms of the antitumor
activity have become a research focus. This paper presents the current state of research on sulfated polysaccharides and
reviews methods for sulfated modification of polysaccharides as well as the structure-antitumor activity relationship of the
modified polysaccharides and the molecular mechanisms involved in the antitumor activity. Additionally, future research
trends are discussed.

Key words: sulfated polysaccharide, structure-activity relationship, antitumor activity, molecular mechanisms