The marine environment can increase the global production of biomass. Interest in marine macroalgae and microorganisms has increased tremendously as a result of international agendas and market trends promoting sustainability as well as healthy food. Macroalgae and marine microorganisms contain unique poly- and oligosaccharides with different substitutions, e.g., sulfation or carboxylation. There is great potential to find prebiotic compounds from these marine-derived saccharides. However, the exact composition and substituent distribution needed for the activity is to a large extent unexplored. In depth investigations of these compounds will provide us with novel insights on the specific structures required for the observed functions.
Keywords: dietary fiber; gut microbiota; macroalgae; marine; polysaccharide; prebiotics.