Glycosaminoglycans from Animal Tissue Foods and Gut Health

Abstract

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a special group of carbohydrates with structures that clearly distinguishes them from glycoproteins, and exert biological effects beyond basic nutrition. The complex nature of cell-surface and GAG-related structures present in extracellular matrix has led to the neglect of this potential therapeutic site for a long time. Consideration about carbohydrates only as energy source has become reoriented because of their pivotal roles in many biological processes; however, scarce advances have been made on GAG characterization in foods. This review focuses on the potential consequences of dietary GAGs on human intestinal health, considering nutritional aspects and biological processes such as inflammation.

Keywords:

• Functional foods
• Glycosaminoglycans
• Gut health
• Inflammation
• Minerals