Marine Polysaccharides and their Importance for Human Health

The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the most popular polysaccharides of marine origin with their applications in health, biotechnological and technological fields. The main marine sources are first identified and general characteristics of extracted polysaccharides are reported. Next, a deeper insight is given into the chemical, physico-chemical and biological properties of the more relevant polysaccharides, and the related applications are summarized. Advances in chemical approaches for modifying native polymers and characteristics of their derivatives are also discussed.