College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266404, China.
College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide 5042, Australia.
Carbohydr Polym. 2024 Oct 1;341:122345. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122345. Epub 2024 Jun 1.
Sulfated fucan from sea cucumber is mainly consists of L-fucose and sulfate groups. Recent studies have confirmed that the structure of sulfated fucan mainly consists of repeating units, typically tetrasaccharides. However, there is growing evidence indicating the presence of irregular domains with heterogeneous units that have not been extensively explored. Moreover, as a key contributor to the nutritional benefits of sea cucumbers, sulfated fucan demonstrates a range of biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hypolipidemic, anti-hyperglycemic, antioxidant, and anticoagulant properties. These biological activities are profoundly influenced by the structural features of sulfated fucan including molecular weight and distribution patterns of sulfate groups. The latest research indicates that sulfated fucan is dispersed in the extracellular matrix of the body wall of sea cucumbers. This article aimed to review the research progress on the in-situ distribution, structures, structural elucidation strategies, functions, and structure-activity relationships of sulfated fucan, especially in the last decade. It also provided insights into the major challenges and potential solutions in the research and development of sulfated fucan. Moreover, the fucanase and carbohydrate binding modules are anticipated to play pivotal roles in advancing this field.
海参硫酸软骨素主要由 L-岩藻糖和硫酸基团组成。最近的研究证实，硫酸软骨素的结构主要由重复单元组成，通常为四糖。然而，越来越多的证据表明存在具有不均匀单元的不规则结构域，这些结构域尚未得到广泛探索。此外，作为海参营养价值的主要贡献者，硫酸软骨素表现出多种生物活性，如抗炎、抗癌、降血脂、抗高血糖、抗氧化和抗凝作用。这些生物活性受到硫酸软骨素结构特征的深刻影响，包括分子量和硫酸基团的分布模式。最新的研究表明，硫酸软骨素分散在海参体壁的细胞外基质中。本文旨在综述硫酸软骨素在原位分布、结构、结构解析策略、功能和结构-活性关系方面的研究进展，特别是在过去十年中的研究进展。本文还探讨了硫酸软骨素研究和开发中面临的主要挑战和潜在解决方案。此外，预计岩藻糖酶和碳水化合物结合模块将在推动该领域的发展中发挥关键作用。
