Sensing sialic acids: Why we need to do it better

What is it about?

Sialic acids (Sia) are a family of compounds found in nature. They play important roles in human health and development. In addition, their presence is an indicator of many diseases. However, many Sia molecules remain unexplored. This is because current methods for sensing them need to be further developed. This review article aims to introduce its readers to the world of Sia. It begins by summarizing the important functions of Sia. These range from immune system regulation to brain development and lactation. Next, it describes the role of Sia in various diseases, such as COVID-19. Following this, the article covers the use of Sia as a nutritional supplement in foods and how it is regulated. Finally, the article deals with the current techniques for sensing Sia in food and biological samples, alongside future research directions.

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Photo by Garvit on Unsplash

Photo by Garvit on Unsplash

Why is it important?

A solid knowledge of Sia could shed light on various human disorders and give us a better chance to fight them. In addition, understanding the role of Sia in nutrition could help in its adoption as a food supplement for people who need it. To reveal the many things we don’t know about Sia, we need to improve our current sensing and detection methods. This review article can help on this front by promoting new research on this family of molecules. KEY TAKEAWAY: Despite Sia possessing many important functions, there is still a lot to learn regarding them. Thus, we will need to perfect the analytical methods that can help sense and detect new Sia molecules