Beijing Key Laboratory of Forest Food Processing and Safety, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, 100083 Beijing, PR China.
Beijing Key Laboratory of Forest Food Processing and Safety, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, 100083 Beijing, PR China.
Carbohydr Polym. 2021 Aug 15;266:118132. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118132. Epub 2021 Apr 28.
Chitooligosaccharides (COS) are the degraded products of chitin or chitosan. COS is water-soluble, non-cytotoxic to organisms, readily absorbed through the intestine, and eliminated primarily through the kidneys. COS possess a wide range of biological activities, including immunomodulation, cholesterol-lowering, and antitumor activity. Although work on COS goes back at least forty years, several aspects remain unclear. This review narrates the recent developments in COS antitumor activities, while paying considerable attention to the impacts of physicochemical properties (such as molecular weight and degrees of deacetylation) and chemical modifications both in vitro and in vivo. COS derivatives not only improve some physicochemical properties, but also expand the range of applications in drug and gene delivery. COS (itself or as a drug carrier) can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, which might be attributed to its ability to stimulate the immune response along with its anti-angiogenic activity. Further, an attempt has been made to report limitations and future research. The potential health benefits of COS and its derivatives against cancer may offer a new insight on their applications in food and medical fields.
壳寡糖（COS）是甲壳素或壳聚糖的降解产物。COS 水溶性好，对生物无细胞毒性，易被肠道吸收，主要通过肾脏排出。COS 具有广泛的生物学活性，包括免疫调节、降胆固醇和抗肿瘤活性。尽管 COS 的研究至少可以追溯到四十年前，但仍有几个方面尚不清楚。本综述叙述了 COS 抗肿瘤活性的最新进展，同时特别关注物理化学性质（如分子量和脱乙酰度）和化学修饰的影响，包括在体外和体内的影响。COS 衍生物不仅改善了一些物理化学性质，而且扩大了在药物和基因传递中的应用范围。COS（本身或作为药物载体）可以抑制肿瘤细胞的增殖和转移，这可能归因于其刺激免疫反应的能力以及其抗血管生成活性。此外，还尝试报告了限制因素和未来的研究。COS 及其衍生物对癌症的潜在健康益处可能为它们在食品和医学领域的应用提供新的见解。
