ABSTRACT
The efforts in both structural and biofunctional studies of marine sulfated polysaccharides (MSPs) have been increasing significantly over the last two decades (Pomin 2009a; Pomin and Mourão 2008). This attention is a consequence of the large interest in novel sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), sulfated fucans (SFs), and sulfated galactans (SGs) that may bring out structures as novel as therapeutic mechanisms for illness treatment, especially those involved in the cardiovascular deregulations. Hence, the sea already proved to be a new and rich environment for such intersectional research of glycobiology and pharmacology, thus offering with great perspectives potential molecular candidates concerning (1) differentiated structures and (2) new pharmacological effects. This chapter strikingly exemplifies these two topics at a single report.
