40
(Liu et al. 2015). The purpose of this chapter is to review the functional properties
of bioactive carbohydrates and their sources.
4.1.1 Structure and Sources of Bioactive Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are naturally found in almost all living organisms especially lower
and higher plants (e.g. dietary fibers, herbs, wood plants, algae, fungi and lichen,),
some microorganisms, and certain tissues of animals e.g. heparin, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid (Singh et al. 2012; Liu et al. 2015). The structures of polysaccharides vary from linear structures to highly branched structures. These include:
(i) Homo-polysaccharides: These have the same type of monosaccharide being
repeated in the chain.
(ii) Hetero-polysaccharides: These usually contain two or more different types of
monosaccharides.
The repeating monosaccharide units in these polysaccharides can be bonded in a
linear chain or a complex arrangement.
Although, carbohydrates play a central role in human physiology and certain
disease progression, they are yet to be fully explored as bioactive compounds for
preparations of nutraceutical or medicinal drugs (Hayes and Tiwari 2015). Their
biological activities include prebiotics and immunomodulatory, anti-thrombotic,
anti-viral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor and hypoglycemic properties
among others (Hayes and Tiwari 2015; Xie et al. 2016b). Bioactive carbohydrates
from plants and their potential health benefits were summarized in Tables 4.1 and
4.2 while the bioactive carbohydrates from animals are presented in Table 4.3.
4.2 Bioactive Carbohydrates from Lower Plants
4.2.1 Marine Algae
Marine organisms are a valuable source of bioactive metabolites. Marine macroalgae (seaweeds) metabolites have been gaining increasing research interest since
they are a valuable source of new drug targets and due to their production of toxins
in lethal algal blooms (O’Sullivan et al. 2010). Seaweeds are the types of marine
macroalgae that are available commercially. Seaweeds of the marine macrophytic
algae comprise of Chlorophycease (green algae), Phaeophycease (brown algae) and
Rhodophycease (red algae). These organisms produce primary and secondary
metabolites that have potentials for various biological activities. They are therefore
widely used as food ingredients (especially the red and brown algae) and as nutraceuticals for human and animal health. Mata et al. (2010) reported that the brown
algae have a higher content of bioactive compounds and stronger antioxidant activity than the red or green algae.
T. A. Oyedepo and A. A. A. Kayode
(Liu et al. 2015). The purpose of this chapter is to review the functional properties
of bioactive carbohydrates and their sources.
4.1.1 Structure and Sources of Bioactive Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are naturally found in almost all living organisms especially lower
and higher plants (e.g. dietary fibers, herbs, wood plants, algae, fungi and lichen,),
some microorganisms, and certain tissues of animals e.g. heparin, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid (Singh et al. 2012; Liu et al. 2015). The structures of polysaccharides vary from linear structures to highly branched structures. These include:
(i) Homo-polysaccharides: These have the same type of monosaccharide being
repeated in the chain.
(ii) Hetero-polysaccharides: These usually contain two or more different types of
monosaccharides.
The repeating monosaccharide units in these polysaccharides can be bonded in a
linear chain or a complex arrangement.
Although, carbohydrates play a central role in human physiology and certain
disease progression, they are yet to be fully explored as bioactive compounds for
preparations of nutraceutical or medicinal drugs (Hayes and Tiwari 2015). Their
biological activities include prebiotics and immunomodulatory, anti-thrombotic,
anti-viral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor and hypoglycemic properties
among others (Hayes and Tiwari 2015; Xie et al. 2016b). Bioactive carbohydrates
from plants and their potential health benefits were summarized in Tables 4.1 and
4.2 while the bioactive carbohydrates from animals are presented in Table 4.3.
4.2 Bioactive Carbohydrates from Lower Plants
4.2.1 Marine Algae
Marine organisms are a valuable source of bioactive metabolites. Marine macroalgae (seaweeds) metabolites have been gaining increasing research interest since
they are a valuable source of new drug targets and due to their production of toxins
in lethal algal blooms (O’Sullivan et al. 2010). Seaweeds are the types of marine
macroalgae that are available commercially. Seaweeds of the marine macrophytic
algae comprise of Chlorophycease (green algae), Phaeophycease (brown algae) and
Rhodophycease (red algae). These organisms produce primary and secondary
metabolites that have potentials for various biological activities. They are therefore
widely used as food ingredients (especially the red and brown algae) and as nutraceuticals for human and animal health. Mata et al. (2010) reported that the brown
algae have a higher content of bioactive compounds and stronger antioxidant activity than the red or green algae.
T. A. Oyedepo and A. A. A. Kayode