Low molecular weight fucoidan: Production methods and their therapeutic applications

Rasika Gunarathne; Chunyang Zhang; Jinrong Zhou; Xuegang Xin; Jun Lu

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145309

Low molecular weight fucoidan: Production methods and their therapeutic applications

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jun 16:145309. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145309. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rasika Gunarathne¹, Chunyang Zhang², Jinrong Zhou³, Xuegang Xin⁴, Jun Lu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Auckland Bioengineering Institute, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
² School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China. Electronic address: zhangcy@seu.edu.cn.
³ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, 330 Brookline Avenue, ST-08M10D, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
⁴ Laboratory of Biophysics, Innovation Centre of Ministry of Education for Development and Diseases, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: xinxg@scut.edu.cn.
⁵ Auckland Bioengineering Institute, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; School of Chemical Sciences, the University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; Department of Food and Agriculture Technology, Yangtze Delta Region Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhejiang, Jiaxing 314006, China. Electronic address: jun.lu@auckland.ac.nz.

PMID: 40533021
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145309

Abstract

Low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF), a depolymerized form, is known to possess superior bioactivities compared to its high molecular weight counterparts. This review critically examines the current strategies for the depolymerization of fucoidan and discusses the therapeutic applications of LMWF. Common methods for fucoidan depolymerization include enzymatic degradation, photocatalytic degradation, radical degradation, acid hydrolysis, ultrasound-assisted degradation, hydrogen peroxide-mediated hydrolysis, and hydrothermal degradation. Among these methods, enzymatic degradation stands out, allowing controlled molecular weight reduction while preserving its structural integrity. The LMWF was found to have wide therapeutic applications owing to its bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, hypolipidemic, antiobesity, liver protective and nephroprotective activities. The molecular weight significantly influences the bioactivities of LMWF, along with the degree of sulfation, monosaccharide composition, ratio and uronic acid content. LMWF has excellent potential for use in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications owing to its therapeutic value. Given that the depolymerization method influences the characteristics and bioactivities of LMWF, careful selection and optimization of these depolymerization techniques can help to produce LMWF with enhanced therapeutic efficacy. This review offers insights to guide future research, both in developing advanced depolymerization strategies and in conducting in-depth studies on the therapeutic applications of LMWF.

Keywords: Bioactivities; Fucoidan; Low molecular fucoidan; Molecular depolymerization.

Publication types

Review