Nutritional Benefits of Fucoidan and Its Applications (A Review)

Abstract

The use of industrial drugs to treat inflammatory diseases, cancer, and diabetes has become controversial because compared with natural products, these drugs have been found to cause adverse side effects. However, an alternative to synthetic medications has been uncovered from natural sources such as kelp, a term used for large brown seaweed, which is a class of seaweed. Although brown algae are one of the most common and largest subgroups used for food, they have been reported to have increased health benefits owing to the high biological activities of the compounds that are extracted from these brown seaweeds. Fucoidan, a major component obtained from various species of brown algae, is a rather varied group of sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) with complex and heterogeneous structures that lack uniformity and have high nutritional value, and health benefits when consumed. This review discusses some of the key areas in which Fucoidan plays a crucial role in promoting human health and its practical applications. As a result, the analytical literature pertaining to the bioactive characteristics of SPs isolated from the Fucaceae, Laminariaceae, Sargassum, and other groups is emphasized, along with information about their prospective biomedical applications as valuable natural resources in the near future for use in human health. Stability studies, Fucoidan structure, Fucoidan and nanoparticles, the biological activity of Fucoidan, the safety of Fucoidan in humans and animals, Fucoidan patents and commercial applications, and the nutraceutical benefits of Fucoidan extract were performed.