| Résumé | In recent decades, poly- and oligosaccharides derived from marine sources including algae, invertebrates and some bacteria display significant antioxidant activities. Development of therapeutic products based on such bioactive poly-/oligosaccharides has been generating considerable interest. Research has shown that the antioxidant properties of marine polysaccharides depend on a number of structural properties, such as the functional groups, molecular weight, and monosaccharide compositions. Structural characteristics may lead to differing mechanisms responsible for antioxidant activities that can be evaluated by various in vitro approaches including l,l-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power, Superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. This chapter reviews the research on the antioxidant properties of marine poly- and oligosaccharides, with particular emphasis on the relationship between their structural features and antioxidant mechanism. The antioxidant properties of marine poly- and oligosaccharides may lead to their increased use as natural antioxidant agents in food, medical, cosmetic, and other applications. © 2012 Scrivener Publishing LLC. |
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