Marine Polysaccharides: Enzymes, Structure and Bioactivity

Marine seaweed polysaccharides are a diverse group of unique and particularly interesting polysaccharides. These includes alginate, fucoidan, laminarin, carrageenan, agar and ulvan. Several of these have been found to be bioactive in many cell culture systems, with activities ranging from anti-viral to anti-cancerous and anti-inflammatory; while other polysaccharides like agar and alginate are mostly utilized as gelling or texturizing agents. Enzymes active on these polysaccharides are investigated to elucidate structure-function relationships, to increase or change the bioactivity, or to increase or decrease the gelling capacity. Since several of these polysaccharides have a very complex structure, enzymes are also used to partially degrade the polysaccharides into defined oligosaccharides, which enables the fine-structure to be elucidated. 

The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight bioactivity potentials for compounds originating from marine seaweed polysaccharides, to characterize novel enzymes active on these polysaccharides, and to determine the structure of both the enzymes and the targeted saccharides.
Contradicting results have previously been reported with regards to the bioactivity of several marine polysaccharides. These discrepancies might be caused by differences in preparation and purification of the polysaccharides, different seaweed species investigated, seasonal variations, fine-structure differences, or differences in size distribution.
Furthermore, enzymes can also be used to modify these marine polysaccharides: to decrease molecular size, increase branching, reduce sulfation degree etc.. Effects of these enzymatically induced modifications on the bioactivity of the polysaccharides are thus of substantial importance.
This Research Topic seeks to present recent advances in the structure and bioactivity of marine algae polysaccharides and the enzymes active on these polysaccharides in more detail.

This Research Topic seeks to present recent advances in the structure and bioactivity of marine algae polysaccharides and the enzymes active on these polysaccharides in more detail.

The topic editors invite a range of article types on the following areas:
• New insights into marine seaweed polysaccharide structure and bioactivity;
• Novel enzymes active on marine seaweed polysaccharides;
• Bioactivity of marine seaweed poly- and oligo-saccharides;
• Structure-function relationships of marine seaweed polysaccharides;
• Extraction and purification of seaweed polysaccharides;