Polysaccharide-rich seaweed is used in a variety of industries, including food, farming, dietary supplements, and other ones. A plant polysaccharide called laminaria has a great deal of physiological action and nearly no adverse effects. It functions as a component. It is crucial to preserving human health and preventing a number of ailments. It also offers a wide range of opportunities in the food industry. Additionally, brown algae have this somewhat undeveloped polysaccharide. Kelp polysaccharide use in the healthcare industry has expanded recently, and the market opportunity is huge.
Seaweed polysaccharides are mainly classified into 3 types according to their sources: fucoidan, green algae polysaccharide and red algae polysaccharide, while laminarin is a polysaccharide derived from brown algae. According to the different solubility, laminarin can be divided into soluble polysaccharide and insoluble polysaccharide. Among them, soluble polysaccharides mainly include cellulose and hemicellulose, and insoluble polysaccharides mainly include algin, fucoidan sulfate and fucoidan.
According to different structures, laminarin can be generally divided into three categories: algin, fucoidan and fucoidan. Laminin is a β-glucan formed by connecting it through the β-1,3 glycosidic bond in D-glucopyranose. Due to the special sulfated structure of laminarin and the rich polysaccharide content, it has many β-glucans. It has a variety of biological effects and a wide range of uses.
The benefits of kelp polysaccharides
1. Regulate gut microbiota metabolites.
The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by polysaccharide metabolism of seaweed polysaccharides can inhibit the production of harmful substances in the gut, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, and play an important role in maintaining host health and preventing diseases. Laminaria can be fermented by microorganisms like lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria to produce SCFAs, particularly oligosaccharides, which are easier to digest and use. This results in the production of more SCFAs, primarily acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, etc., which are absorbed by host cells and stimulate related gene expression. Among these, propionic acid controls the amount of cholesterol in the body by blocking the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA, while acetic acid is absorbed in the colon, fuels muscles and encourages the creation of adipose tissue.
2. Altering the composition of the gut microbiome
A type of dietary supplement called polysaccharide works as both prebiotics and an optimal microecological regulator by enhancing the gut microbiota of the body. Oxidative stress is produced and the structure of gut bacteria is disrupted when the body's levels of free radicals rise. Consuming nutritional supplements with functional properties can help the body stay healthy by removing free radicals, encouraging the growth of probiotics, and enhancing antioxidant capacity.
3. Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides
Laminaria can increase the expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R), accelerate the metabolic process of converting TC into bile acids, while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is decomposed into amino acids and free cholesterol after combining with LDL-R, reducing the LDL levels. Studies have shown that kelp polysaccharide can reduce the content of TC and TG whether it is used as a feed supplement for animals or injected into high-fat animals as a solution.
4. Lowers blood sugar and increases insulin levels
The anabolism of blood sugar is related to the activity of various enzymes, and laminarin can reduce blood sugar by regulating the activity of enzymes. Studies have shown that fucoidan sulfate can reduce blood sugar levels by increasing serum insulin levels, and high-dose fucoidan sulfate has a more obvious hypoglycemic effect.
