Potential applications of alginate oligosaccharides for biomedicine – A mini review

Extensive research on marine algae, especially on their health-promoting properties, has been conducted. Various ingredients with potential biomedical applications have been discovered and extracted from marine algae. Alginate oligosaccharides are low molecular weight alginate polysaccharides present in cell walls of brown algae. They exhibit various health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor and immunomodulation. Their low-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, and biodegradability make them an excellent material in biomedicine. Alginate oligosaccharides can be chemically or biochemically modified to enhance their biological activity and potential in pharmaceutical applications. This paper provides a brief overview on alginate oligosaccharides characteristics, modification patterns and highlights their vital health promoting properties. •Alginate oligosaccharide has good biosafety, biocompatibility and bioavailability.•Composition and structure of oligosaccharide affects its final biological activity.•Alginate oligosaccharides are potential biomedicines with promising prospects.