Bioactive sugars from red macroalgae

Abstract

Algae is one of the earliest known photosynthetic eukaryotes, commonly found in freshwater and marine environments. It is estimated that approximately 72,000 different algae species exist, although only a small fraction has been identified thus far. Algae can be classified into two main categories: unicellular microalgae and multicellular macroalgae also referred to as seaweeds. The majority of macroalgae are found in the intertidal zone, and they exhibit a higher growth rate than terrestrial plants. Macroalgae are classified into three major groups: red macroalgae (Rhodophyceae), brown macroalgae (Pheophyceae), and green macroalgae (Chlorophyceae). The cell walls of each macroalgae group are composed of different polysaccharides. The cell walls of red macroalgae are composed of agar, carrageenan, and porphyran. The major polysaccharides in brown macroalgae are fucoidan and lginate, whereas ulvan is the major polysaccharide of green macroalgae. Agar, carrageenan, porphyran,ulvan, and fucoidan are sulfated polysaccharides that are exclusively found in marine plants and algae.