Author(s): Martins, Alice ; Alves, Celso ; Silva, Joana ; Pinteus, Susete ; Gaspar, Helena ; Pedrosa, Rui
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/8771
Origin: IC-online
Subject(s): Seaweeds; Marine natural products; Sulfated polymers; Chemical analysis
The marine environment presents itself as a treasure chest, full of a vast diversity of organisms yet to be explored. Among these organisms, macroalgae stand out as a major source of natural products due to their nature as primary producers and relevance in the sustainability of marine ecosystems. Sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) are a group of polymers biosynthesized by macroalgae, making up part of their cell wall composition. Such compounds are characterized by the presence of sulfate groups and a great structural diversity among the different classes of macroalgae, providing interesting biotechnological and therapeutical applications. However, due to the high complexity of these macromolecules, their chemical characterization is a huge challenge, driving the use of complementary physicochemical techniques to achieve an accurate structural elucidation. This review compiles the reports (2016–2021) of state-of-the-art methodologies used in the chemical characterization of macroalgae SPs aiming to provide, in a simple way, a key tool for researchers focused on the structural elucidation of these important marine macromolecules.
