Chemical modifications in the structure of marine polysaccharide as serviceable food and assistant: A review

Marine polysaccharides are a kind of natural polysaccharides which isolated and extracted from marine or-ganisms. Now some marine polysaccharides, such as chitosan, sodium alginate and agar, have been proven to exhibit antibacterial, antioxidant functions and biocompatibility, which are often used to preserve food or improve the physicochemical properties of food. However, they still have the defects of unsatisfactory preser-vation effect and biological activity, which can be remedied by its modification. Chemical modification is the most effective of all modification methods. The advances in common chemical modification methods of chitosan, sodium alginate, agar and other marine polysaccharides and research progress of modified products in food processing and preservation were summarized, and the influence of additional reaction conditions on the exis-tence of chemical modification sites of polysaccharides was discussed. The modification of functional groups in natural marine polysaccharides leads to the change of molecular structure, which can improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of marine polysaccharides. Chemically modified products have been used in various fields of food applications, such as food preservatives, food additives, food packaging, and food pro-cessing aids. In general, chemical modification has excellent potential for food processing and preservation, which can improve the function of marine polysaccharides.

Automated summary

Marine polysaccharides, natural compounds extracted from marine organisms, possess antibacterial, antioxidant, and biocompatible properties. Chemical modification is the most effective method to improve their preservation effect and biological activity. Modified marine polysaccharides have been widely used in various food applications, such as preservatives, additives, packaging, and processing aids.