chondroitin-sulfates and Virus-Diseases

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfates (FCS) are a sulfated polysaccharide exclusively existing in the body wall of sea cucumber. FCS possesses a mammalian chondroitin sulfate like backbone, namely repeating disaccharides units composed of GlcA and GalNAc, with fucosyl branches linked to GlcA and/or GalNAc residues. It is found that FCS can prevent unhealthy dietary pattern-induced metabolic syndromes, including insulin resistance and β-cell function improvement, anti-inflammation, anti-hyperlipidemia, and anti-adipogenesis. Further studies show that those activities of FCS might be achieved through positively modulating gut microbiota composition. Besides, FCS also show therapeutic efficacy in cancer, HIV infection, and side effects of cyclophosphamide. Furthermore, bioactivities of FCS are closely affected by their molecular weights, sulfation pattern of the fucosyl branches, and chain conformations. This review summarizes the recent 20 years studies to provide references for the future studies and applications of FCS in functional foods or drugs.

Topics: Animals; Chondroitin Sulfates; Disaccharides; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; HIV Infections; Humans; Immunomodulation; Metabolic Syndrome; Mice; Molecular Weight; Neoplasms; Polysaccharides; Sea Cucumbers; Structure-Activity Relationship; Sulfates; Virus Diseases

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composed of alternating N-acetyl galactosamine and glucuronic acid units within disaccharide building blocks. CS is a key functional component in proteoglycans of cartilaginous tissues. Owing to its numerous biological roles, CS is widely explored in the pharmaceutical market as nutraceutical ingredient commonly utilized against arthritis, osteoarthrosis, and sometimes osteoporosis. Tissues like shark cartilage and bovine trachea are common sources of CS. Nonetheless, a new CS type has been introduced and investigated in the last few decades in what regards its medical potentials. It is named fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FucCS). This less common CS type is isolated exclusively from the body wall of sea cucumbers. The presence of fucosyl branching units in the holothurian FucCS gives to this unique GAG, therapeutic properties in various pathophysiological systems which are inexistent in the common CS explored in the market. Examples of these systems are coagulation, thrombosis, hemodialysis, atherosclerosis, cellular growth, angiogenesis, fibrosis, tumor growth, inflammation, viral and protozoan infections, hyperglycemia, diabetes-related pathological events and tissue damage. This report aims at describing the medical benefits gained upon fucosylation of CS. Clinical prospects of these medical benefits are also discussed herein.

Topics: Animals; Anticoagulants; Atherosclerosis; Blood Coagulation; Cell Proliferation; Chondroitin Sulfates; Glycosylation; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Protozoan Infections; Sea Cucumbers; Thrombosis; Virus Diseases