CHAPTER 12. Synthesis of Marine Polysaccharides/Oligosaccharides and Their Derivatives

The resources of marine organism-derived carbohydrates, particularly the poly-/oligosaccharides, are very abundant and play important roles in the food, agricultural, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. However, their complex structures and diverse functions are still not well understood which limit their advanced applications. This chapter aims to summarize the current efforts to access the structurally defined marine poly-/oligosaccharides and their useful derivatives. The first section presents marine polysaccharides obtained from biosynthesis, semi-synthesis, mimic-synthesis, and structural modification. The second section focuses on the marine oligosaccharides acquired by chemical synthesis and enzymatic/chemical degradation. Furthermore, the development of carbohydrate-based marine drugs is also discussed. In summary, marine poly-/oligosaccharides and their derivatives have now attracted much more attention due to their promising scientific and industrial applications. The protocols summarized herein would be conducive to the sustainable research and development of marine-derived carbohydrates.