Bioactive polysaccharides from marine brown algae (Phaeophyceae)

Marine Algae and Marine Environment Discipline, Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute,

Bhavnagar-364 002, India

E-mail : salt@csir.res.in      Fax : 91-278-566970/567562

Manuscript received 23 March 2000, revised 16 February 2001, accepted 8 April 2001

Marine algae produce both lipid- and water-soluble metabolites, many of which are reported to be bioactive. Water-soluble polysac­charides of brown marine algae having myriad bioactivities have been described in this review along with their chemistry. Struc­ture-activity relationships are also discussed.