Multifunctional Marine Polysaccharides

This book offers a comprehensive overview of marine polysaccharides, detailing their preparation, characterization, and evaluation, along with their wide-ranging applications in drug delivery, biomedical science, and food technology. By illuminating the versatile roles of these natural polymers, it provides readers with a fresh perspective on their potential to drive innovation across multiple sectors. The chapters highlight a wide range of specific applications, including the use of plant-derived marine polysaccharides in oral drug delivery, marine seaweed polysaccharides in antiviral therapies, and marine animal polysaccharides in targeted drug delivery. Additional topics include microbial polysaccharides for sustained release systems, algal polysaccharides in anticancer treatments and liver disease management, sulfated marine polysaccharides for managing diabetic nephropathy, and the application of marine-derived polysaccharides in anti-allergic formulations. The book also examines their roles in tissue regeneration, wound healing, theranostics, and highlights their contributions to food processing, preservation, and packaging, emphasizing their importance in food safety and regulatory compliance. As eco-friendly, renewable resources derived from marine plants, animals, microbes, and algae, marine polysaccharides possess inherent properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, low cost, and abundance, making them ideal candidates for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and food technology applications. Their structural diversity and biological functionality further position them as promising materials for drug discovery and therapeutic innovation, as introduced throughout the book. This book is an essential reference for researchers, scholars, and professionals in pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, and materials science. With full-color illustrations and accessible explanations, it is especially valuable for early-career researchers seeking to innovate in their fields.