Fucoidans: a marine antioxidant

The sea has been explored as a source for nutrition by human for ages and ages. Among the various species, brown seaweed is one of the important marine sources that have been harvested around the world for centuries. Seaweeds have gained popularity in recent years as a result of their increased use in food supplements, and its extracts have been utilized in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food industries. Among the various marine-derived natural bioactive compounds, fucoidan, which is a sulfated polysaccharide, is the most popular bioactive compound. They are found mainly in the cell walls of the algae and contribute more than 40% of the dry weight of the algal cell walls. Fucoidan from seaweeds is found to be a heterogenic mixture, and its composition varies depending on the season, climate, and species. This chapter describes the antioxidant properties of the marine polysaccharide fucoidans and the various applications of fucoidan in the pharmaceuticals industry, such as a drug excipient; as a capping agent; in nanoparticles, microparticles, liposomes, and semisolid formulations; and in cancer therapy.