Ulvan from Ulva lactuca as A Potential Marine-derived Prebiotic for Functional Foods: A Review
Abstract
Ulvan, which comes from the green seaweed Ulva lactuca as a sulfated polysaccharide, has gained more research interest as a possible marine-based prebiotic. The review aims to evaluate the potential of ulvan derived from Ulva lactuca as a marine-based prebiotic by analyzing studies published between 2016 and 2026. Relevant articles were collected from scientific databases focusing on ulvan characteristics, digestibility, fermentation by gut microbiota, and its potential application in functional food products. The research demonstrated through laboratory experiments and animal research that ulvan retains its original form throughout its passage from the upper gastrointestinal tract to the colon, where microbes use ulvan as their fermentation substrate. Experimental results show that the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria groups demonstrate higher growth rates. Fermentation products like short-chain fatty acids help maintain intestinal balance. Most available evidence comes from experimental and animal studies. The scientific community has not established whether humans show similar reactions because of a lack of thorough clinical research. Research studies show that ulvan has potential to function as a prebiotic, but it has not yet become an established prebiotic component for clinical use. Therefore, ulvan derived from Ulva lactuca represents a promising marine-based prebiotic candidate with potential application as a functional food component, although further clinical studies are required
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Barrientos, B. L. ., & Mendoza. (2016). Invited review : Fermented milk as antihypertensive functional food. J. Dairy Sci. 99:4099–4110, 4099–4110. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10054
Charoensiddhi, S., Conlon, M., Methacanon, P., Thayanukul, P., Hongsprabhas, P., & Zhang, W. (2022). Gut microbiome modulation and gastrointestinal digestibility in vitro of polysaccharide-enriched extracts and seaweeds from Ulva rigida and Gracilaria fisheri. Journal of Functional Foods, 96(December 2021), 105204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2022.105204
Cherry, P., Yadav, S., Strain, C. R., Allsopp, P. J., Mcsorley, E. M., Ross, R. P., & Stanton, C. (2019). Prebiotics from Seaweeds : An Ocean of Opportunity ? Marine Drugs, 17, 327, 1–35. https://doi.org/doi:10.3390/md17060327
Cindana Mo’o, F. ., & Rat. (2020). applied sciences Ulvan , a Polysaccharide from Macroalga Ulva sp .: A Review of Chemistry , Biological Activities and Potential for Food and Biomedical Applications. Applied Sciences, 10, 5488(July 2020).
Deehan, E. C., Antwan, S. Al, Witwer, R. S., Guerra, P., John, T., & Monheit, L. (2024). Revisiting the Concepts of Prebiotic and Prebiotic Effect in Light of Scienti fi c and Regulatory Progress — A Consensus Paper From the Global Prebiotic Association. Advances in Nutrition, 15(12), 100329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100329
Deniz, N., & Sarıta, S. (2025). Prebiotic and Functional Fibers from Micro- and Macroalgae : Gut Microbiota Modulation , Health Benefits , and Food Applications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(22), 1–38. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211082
Filomena, M., Raposo, D. J., Maria, A., Bernardo, M., Manuel, R., & Costa, S. (2016). Emergent Sources of Prebiotics : Seaweeds and Microalgae. Marine Drugs, 14, 27, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/md14020027
Gibson, G. R., Hutkins, R., Sanders, M. E., Prescott, S. L., Reimer, R. A., Salminen, S. J., Scott, K., Stanton, C., Swanson, K. S., Cani, P. D., Verbeke, K., & Reid, G. (2017). Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 14(8), 491–502. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.75
Gotteland, M., Riveros, K., Gasaly, N., & Carcamo, C. (2020). The Pros and Cons of Using Algal Polysaccharides as Prebiotics. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7(September), 1–15. https://doi.org/doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00163
Jagtap, A. S., Parab, A. S., Manohar, C. S., & Kadam, N. S. (2022). Prebiotic potential of enzymatically produced ulvan oligosaccharides using ulvan lyase of Bacillus subtilis, NIOA181, a macroalgae-associated bacteria. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 133(5), 3176–3190. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15775
Kidgell, J. T., Magnusson, M., de Nys, R., & Glasson, C. R. K. (2019). Ulvan: A systematic review of extraction, composition and function. Algal Research, 39(March), 101422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2019.101422
Klojdova, I., & Stathopoulos, C. (2022). Food Chemistry : X W / o / w multiple emulsions : A novel trend in functional ice cream preparations ? Food Chemistry: X Volume 16, 30 December 2022, 100451, 16(September). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100451
Koh, A., De Vadder, F., Kovatcheva-Datchary, P., & Bäckhed, F. (2016). From dietary fiber to host physiology: Short-chain fatty acids as key bacterial metabolites. Cell, 165(6), 1332–1345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.041
Krangkratok, W., Chantorn, S., Choosuwan, P., Phomkaivon, N., La-ongkham, O., Kosawatpat, P., Tamtin, M., & Praiboon, J. (2023). Production of prebiotic ulvan-oligosaccharide from the green seaweed Ulva rigida by enzymatic hydrolysis. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 54, 102922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2023.102922
Li, C., Tang, T., Du, Y., Jiang, L., Yao, Z., Ning, L., & Zhu, B. (2023). Ulvan and Ulva oligosaccharides : a systematic review of structure , preparation , biological activities and applications. Bioresources and Bioprocessing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40643-023-00690-z
Pratap, K., Majzoub, M. E., Taki, A. C., Hernandez, S. M., Magnusson, M., Glasson, C. R. K., Nys, R. De, Thomas, T., Lopata, A. L., & Kamath, S. D. (2022). Both Positively Modulate Gut Microbiota in Mice. Foods, 11, 565, 1–14.
Rahimi, F., Tabarsa, M., & Rezaei, M. (2016). Ulvan from green algae Ulva intestinalis : optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction and antioxidant activity. Journal of Applied Phycology, 28, 2979–2990. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-016-0824-5
Reque, P. M., & Brandelli, A. (2021). Trends in Food Science & Technology Encapsulation of probiotics and nutraceuticals : Applications in functional food industry. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 114(April), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.05.022
Ribeiro, D. M., Costa, M. M., Trevisi, P., Carvalho, D., Correa, F., Martins, C. F., Pinho, M., Mourato, M., Almeida, A. M. De, Freire, J. P. B., & Prates, J. A. M. (2024). Piglets performance , nutrient digestibility and gut health in response to feeding Ulva lactuca seaweed supplemented with a recombinant ulvan lyase or a commercial carbohydras. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 108(6), 1624–1640
Rubak, Y. T., Lalel, H. J., Ngurah, B. I. G. M., Turupadang, W. L., Mahara, F. A., & Yusuf, D. (2026). Ulvan Polysaccharide of Ulva lactuca From Coastal Indonesia: Functional Prebiotic Properties via Enzymatic and Nonenzymatic Extraction. International Journal of Food Science, 2026(1), 4529168. https://doi.org/10.1155/ijfo/4529168
Seong, H., Bae, J., Seo, J. S., Kim, S., Kim, T., & Han, N. S. (2019). Comparative analysis of prebiotic effects of seaweed polysaccharides laminaran , porphyran , and ulvan using in vitro human fecal fermentation. Journal of Functional Foods, 57(April), 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.04.014
Shalaby, S., & Amin, H. (2019). Potential Using of Ulvan Polysaccharide from Ulva lactuca as a Prebiotic in Journal of Probiotics & Health Potential Using of Ulvan Polysaccharide from Ulva lactuca as a Prebiotic in Synbiotic Yogurt Production. Journal of Prebiotics & Health, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.4172/2329-8901.100208
Shannon, E., Conlon, M., & Hayes, M. (2021). Seaweed Components as Potential Modulators of the Gut Microbiota. Marine Drugs, 19, 358. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/md19070358
Zonfrillo, B., Ambrosio, C. M. S., Mulinacci, N., & Rubert, J. (2026). Metabolomic insights into ulvan fermentation reveal its potential as a prebiotic dietary fiber. Food Chemistry, 514, 149100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.149100
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24167/jfcn.v2i2.15049
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 JFCN: Journal of Food, Culinary, and Nutrition
Online ISSN : 3063-4121 JFCN Stats