Product Introduction

　　Agar oligosaccharides are novel marine functional oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization ranging from 2 to 20, obtained by hydrolyzing agar polysaccharides. They comprise two series: agar oligosaccharides (agaro-oligosaccharides) and new agar oligosaccharides (new agaro-oligosaccharides). Agar oligosaccharides have a reducing end composed of 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose residues, whereas new agar oligosaccharides have a reducing end composed of β-D-galactose residues.

　　Agar oligosaccharides have excellent water solubility, which facilitates their absorption by the human body. They not only possess the typical characteristics of functional oligosaccharides but also exhibit numerous active functional properties that cannot be replicated by ordinary oligosaccharides. These properties include promoting the proliferation of beneficial gut bacteria, inhibiting harmful bacteria, and providing antioxidant effects. As such, they serve as valuable raw materials in fields such as food, daily chemical products, agriculture, and aquaculture.

Function:

　　1. Increase beneficial gut bacteria

　　Hu et al. [1–3] found that neoagaro-oligosaccharides with a higher degree of polymerization are not degraded in the gastrointestinal tract. As a prebiotic, neoagaro-oligosaccharides can promote the proliferation of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, significantly shortening the adaptation period required for beneficial bacteria to grow. The proliferative effect of these oligosaccharides takes effect rapidly. Agar oligosaccharides are resistant to digestion by enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal tract; after 24 hours of exposure to upper gastrointestinal enzymes, nearly all of the agar oligosaccharides remain unaffected by amylolytic enzymes. They cannot be digested or absorbed by the host’s gastrointestinal tract and thus reach the large intestine intact.

　　2. Antibacterial effect

　　Zhang Hongyan et al. [4–6] found that agar oligosaccharides exhibit strong antibacterial activity and can effectively reduce the formation of harmful bacterial colonies at a concentration as low as 3.11%. Therefore, they represent an excellent natural food preservative. They can be used to preserve foods and beverages, effectively preventing color changes, spoilage, and oxidation.

　　3. Antioxidant effect

　　Wang and Chen et al. [7–11] found that agar oligosaccharides exhibit excellent free-radical scavenging activity and in vivo antioxidant activity. They can directly scavenge active free radicals and enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In particular, they demonstrate significant effects in scavenging harmful superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and DPPH radicals, thereby exerting an antioxidant effect.

Scope of application

　　— Prebiotic products

　　— Functional foods and beverages

　　— Personal care products

　　— Daily chemical products

　　— Agricultural foliar fertilizers, root fertilizers

　　— Aquaculture

　　......

Physicochemical indicators

　　Note: The viscosity values are at a concentration of 1.5% at 100℃.

Note: The above information is excerpted from Baidu and key domestic and international journal articles.

　　References:

　　[1] Hu B, Gong Q, Wang Y, et al. Prebiotic effects of neoagaro-oligosaccharides prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of agarose.[J]. Anaerobe, 2006, 12(5):260-266.

　　[2] Guo Xiaofeng, Study on the Prebiotic Effects of Novel Oligogalactose [D]. 2014, Ocean University of China.

　　[3] Chen Hong, Mei Jianfeng, Ying Guoqing. Study on the Growth-Promoting Effect of Novel Oligosaccharides on Lactobacillus bulgaricus [J]. Food Science and Technology, 2014(12):24-27.

　　[4] Zhang Hongyan, Lin Kai, Yan Chunjuan. Research Progress on Natural Food Preservatives at Home and Abroad [J]. Grain Processing, 2004, 3:57-60.

　　[5] Li JB, Han F, Lu XZ, et al. A simple method of preparing diverse neoagarooligosaccharides with β-agarase[J]. Carbohydrate Research, 2007, 342:1030-1033.

　　[6] Enoki T, Sagawa H, Tominaga T, et al. Drugs, foods or drinks containing algae-derived physiologically active substances: US 6911432B2 [P], 2005-06-28.

　　[7] Wang JX, Mou HJ, Jiang XL. Biological activities of a neutral water-soluble agar polysaccharide prepared by agarase degradation[J]. High-Tech Lecture, 2005, 11:415-420.

　　[8] Chen HM, Yan XJ, Zhu P, et al. Antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective potential of agaro-oligosaccharides in vitro and in vivo[J]. Journal of Nutrition, 2006, 5(31):63-67.

　　[9] Wang JX, Jiang XL, Mou HJ, et al. Antioxidant activity of agar oligosaccharides produced by agarase from a marine bacterium[J]. Journal of Applied Phycology, 2004, 16(5):33-340.

　　[10] Chen HM, Zheng L, Lin W, et al. Product monitoring and quantitation of oligosaccharide composition in agar hydrolysates by precolumn labeling HPLC[J]. Talanta, 2004, 64(3):773-777.

　　[11] Chen Haimin. Study on the Specific Degradation, Labeling Analysis, Structural Characteristics, and Biological Activity of Glycoside Oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine. [Doctoral Dissertation]. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Institute of Oceanology), 2004.