福寿膏是从棕褐色海藻中提取的硫酸酯海洋藻类，自上个十年以来，由于其具有抗氧化、抗病毒、抗炎、抗凝血、抗血栓、抗癌和免疫调节等广泛的生物活性，引起了科学界的广泛关注。由于其无细胞毒性、生物相容性和可生物降解性，该多糖被用作药物运输载体。此外，纳米生物医学系统已将这种海藻用于诊断和治疗目的。由于其丰富的生物多样性、成本效益和提取和纯化的温和程序，福寿膏已广泛研究用于再生医学，创面愈合和持续药物输送。然而，限制其应用的主要问题是由于种类、采摘和气候因素的不同，批次之间的提取差异。本文综述了福寿膏的起源、化学结构、物理化学和生物学性质以及其在纳米药物输送系统中的重要作用。特别强调了最近在使用天然/修饰福寿膏及其与壳聚糖和金属离子结合用于纳米药物输送应用中，特别是在癌症治疗中的进展。此外，还回顾了福寿膏在人类临床试验中作为补充治疗剂的应用。©2023年。受控释放协会。

Fucoidan-a sulfated marine seaweed obtained from brown algae-has raised considerable interest in the scientific community over the last decade as it possesses a wide range of biological activities such as antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, anticarcinogenic, and immunoregulatory. This polysaccharide finds application as a drug delivery vehicle due to its non-cytotoxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Besides, nano biomedical systems have used this marine alga for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Fucoidan has been extensively studied for use in regenerative medicines, in wound healing, and for sustained drug delivery due to its large biodiversity, cost-effectiveness, and mild procedures for extraction and purification. However, the main concern that limits its application is the variance in its batch-to-batch extraction owing to species type, harvesting, and climatic factors. The current review encloses a compendious overview of the origin, chemical structure, and physicochemical and biological properties of fucoidan and its significant role in nanodrug delivery systems. Special emphasis is given to the recent advances in the use of native/modified fucoidan, its combination with chitosan and metal ions for nanodrug delivery applications, especially in cancer treatment. Additionally, use of fucoidan in human clinical trials as a complementary therapeutic agent is also reviewed.© 2023. Controlled Release Society.