Fucoidan: A Versatile Biopolymer for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Fucoidan is a natural, anionic sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown marine algae with a wide variety of pharmacological features like anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anticoagulant and antithrombotic effects. Fucoidan has been extensively studied for last decade due to its numerous interesting biological activities. In recent years, the research on drug and gene delivery systems, diagnostic microparticles and wound and burn healing formulations of fucoidan has been increasing in course of time. This review gives an overview about the research of concerning structural characterization and biological activity of fucoidan; application of fucoidan-based systems in pharmaceutical field for drug and DNA delivery and in biomedical area for wound and burn treatment.