Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (566 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A water-soluble extractive mixture of sulfated polysaccharides from red algae. Chief sources are the Irish moss chondrus crispus (Carrageen), and Gigartina stellata. It is used as a stabilizer, for suspending cocoa in chocolate manufacture, and to clarify beverages.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Carrageenin; iota-Carrageenan; iota Carrageenan; kappa-Carrageenan; kappa Carrageenan; lambda-Carrageenan; lambda Carrageenan.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Polysaccharides
- See also
- Chondrus
Related concepts
- Red Algae
- Chondrus Crispus
- Cocoa
- Beverages
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 9,662 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Carrageenan” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 1,999 of them (20.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 3,238 records.
Reviews account for 212 records (2.2%) and meta-analyses for 1. Randomized controlled trials number 39 (0.4%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 3,238 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,936 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,489 |
| 2020 onward | 1,999 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 212 | 2.2% |
| Meta-analyses | 1 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 39 | 0.4% |
Method: PubMed query "Carrageenan"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrageenan: Drug Delivery Systems and Other Biomedical Applications | 2020 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 178 | cc by PMID 33238488 · DOI · PMC7700686 |
| Iota-carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of influenza A virus infection | 2010 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 135 | cc by PMID 21179403 · DOI · PMC3001860 |
| Carrageenan catabolism is encoded by a complex regulon in marine heterotrophic bacteria | 2017 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 120 | cc by PMID 29162826 · DOI · PMC5698469 |
| Formulation and Analytical Characterization of Phenprocoumon-Loaded κ-Carrageenan Hydrogels for Controlled-Release Applications | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42513217 · DOI · PMC13415100 |
Carrageenan: Drug Delivery Systems and Other Biomedical Applications [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Marine resources are today a renewable source of various compounds, such as polysaccharides, that are used in the pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, and food fields.
- Closing excerpt
- This article provides a review of recent research on the various types of carrageenan-based biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (109 words)
Marine resources are today a renewable source of various compounds, such as polysaccharides, that are used in the pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, and food fields. In recent years, considerable attention has been focused on carrageenan-based biomaterials due to their multifunctional qualities, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, in addition to bioactive attributes, such as their antiviral, antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulating properties. They have been applied in pharmaceutical formulations as both their bioactive and physicochemical properties make them suitable biomaterials for drug delivery, and recently for the development of tissue engineering. This article provides a review of recent research on the various types of carrageenan-based biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 33238488 · DOI · PMC7700686
Iota-carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of influenza A virus infection [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The 2009 flu pandemic and the appearance of oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 influenza strains highlight the need for treatment alternatives.
- Closing excerpt
- Since alternative treatment options for influenza are rare, we conclude that the nasal spray containing iota-carrageenan is an alternative to neuraminidase inhibitors and should be tested for prevention and treatment of influenza A in clinical trials in humans.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (147 words)
The 2009 flu pandemic and the appearance of oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 influenza strains highlight the need for treatment alternatives. One such option is the creation of a protective physical barrier in the nasal cavity. In vitro tests demonstrated that iota-carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of influenza A virus infection, most importantly also of pandemic H1N1/2009 in vitro. Consequently, we tested a commercially available nasal spray containing iota-carrageenan in an influenza A mouse infection model. Treatment of mice infected with a lethal dose of influenza A PR8/34 H1N1 virus with iota-carrageenan starting up to 48 hours post infection resulted in a strong protection of mice similar to mice treated with oseltamivir. Since alternative treatment options for influenza are rare, we conclude that the nasal spray containing iota-carrageenan is an alternative to neuraminidase inhibitors and should be tested for prevention and treatment of influenza A in clinical trials in humans.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 21179403 · DOI · PMC3001860
Carrageenan catabolism is encoded by a complex regulon in marine heterotrophic bacteria [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Macroalgae contribute substantially to primary production in coastal ecosystems.
- Closing excerpt
- These results allow for an extension on the definition of bacterial PUL-mediated polysaccharide digestion.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (146 words)
Macroalgae contribute substantially to primary production in coastal ecosystems. Their biomass, mainly consisting of polysaccharides, is cycled into the environment by marine heterotrophic bacteria using largely uncharacterized mechanisms. Here we describe the complete catabolic pathway for carrageenans, major cell wall polysaccharides of red macroalgae, in the marine heterotrophic bacterium Zobellia galactanivorans. Carrageenan catabolism relies on a multifaceted carrageenan-induced regulon, including a non-canonical polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) and genes distal to the PUL, including a susCD-like pair. The carrageenan utilization system is well conserved in marine Bacteroidetes but modified in other phyla of marine heterotrophic bacteria. The core system is completed by additional functions that might be assumed by non-orthologous genes in different species. This complex genetic structure may be the result of multiple evolutionary events including gene duplications and horizontal gene transfers. These results allow for an extension on the definition of bacterial PUL-mediated polysaccharide digestion.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 29162826 · DOI · PMC5698469
Formulation and Analytical Characterization of Phenprocoumon-Loaded κ-Carrageenan Hydrogels for Controlled-Release Applications [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Oral administration of narrow therapeutic index anticoagulants like phenprocoumon (PHP) necessitates careful control of the kinetic release of the drug to avoid dose dumping and severe haemorrhagic effects.
- Closing excerpt
- Ionic cross-linking effectively reduces the initial burst effect, demonstrating that these matrices are promising vehicles for the sustained delivery of phenprocoumon.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (164 words)
Oral administration of narrow therapeutic index anticoagulants like phenprocoumon (PHP) necessitates careful control of the kinetic release of the drug to avoid dose dumping and severe haemorrhagic effects. This study was carried out to prepare and characterize novel PHP delivery systems based on κ-carrageenan hydrogels, exploring the importance of potassium ion (K+) stabilization in controlling the release process. FT-IR, TG/DTG, and in vitro release studies were employed in combination with a new validated RP-HPLC assay. FT-IR and thermal analysis results showed that PHP is physically encapsulated into the polysaccharide matrix, where there are no chemical incompatibilities between them. Furthermore, potassium ions increase the stability and heat resistance of the polymer network. However, when K+ was considered for modelling the kinetic release using the Korsmeyer-Peppas equation, it was observed that PHP is released from the K+ stabilized matrix in a relaxation dominated diffusion-controlled transport. Ionic cross-linking effectively reduces the initial burst effect, demonstrating that these matrices are promising vehicles for the sustained delivery of phenprocoumon.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42513217 · DOI · PMC13415100
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Carrageenan-induced paw edema in the rat and mouse [5]
- Research article Biological properties of carrageenan [6]
- Research article Carrageenan and its applications in drug delivery [7]
- Research article Carrageenan based hydrogels for drug delivery, tissue engineering and wound healing [8]
- Research article A review on synthesis, properties and applications of natural polymer based carrageenan blends and composites [9]
- Research article Development of edible films and coatings from alginates and carrageenans [10]
References
- Pacheco-Quito EM, Ruiz-Caro R, Veiga MD. Carrageenan: Drug Delivery Systems and Other Biomedical Applications. . 2020. PMID 33238488 · DOI · PMC7700686
- Leibbrandt A, Meier C, König-Schuster M, Weinmüllner R, Kalthoff D, Pflugfelder B, et al.. Iota-carrageenan is a potent inhibitor of influenza A virus infection. . 2010. PMID 21179403 · DOI · PMC3001860
- Ficko-Blean E, Préchoux A, Thomas F, Rochat T, Larocque R, Zhu Y, et al.. Carrageenan catabolism is encoded by a complex regulon in marine heterotrophic bacteria. . 2017. PMID 29162826 · DOI · PMC5698469
- Gallo I, Epuran C, Fratilescu I, Ștefan-Pantiș R, Pahomi A, Budiul MM, et al.. Formulation and Analytical Characterization of Phenprocoumon-Loaded κ-Carrageenan Hydrogels for Controlled-Release Applications. . 2026. PMID 42513217 · DOI · PMC13415100
- Morris CJ. Carrageenan-induced paw edema in the rat and mouse. Methods Mol Biol. 2003. PMID 12769480 · DOI
- Di Rosa M. Biological properties of carrageenan. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1972. PMID 4402944 · DOI
- Li L, Ni R, Shao Y, Mao S. Carrageenan and its applications in drug delivery. Carbohydr Polym. 2014. PMID 24528694 · DOI
- Yegappan R, Selvaprithiviraj V, Amirthalingam S, Jayakumar R. Carrageenan based hydrogels for drug delivery, tissue engineering and wound healing. Carbohydr Polym. 2018. PMID 30093014 · DOI
- Zia KM, Tabasum S, Nasif M, Sultan N, Aslam N, Noreen A, et al.. A review on synthesis, properties and applications of natural polymer based carrageenan blends and composites. Int J Biol Macromol. 2017. PMID 27914965 · DOI
- Tavassoli-Kafrani E, Shekarchizadeh H, Masoudpour-Behabadi M. Development of edible films and coatings from alginates and carrageenans. Carbohydr Polym. 2016. PMID 26686140 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.