Download IJMS 42(5) 538-546

Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences
Vol. 42(5), September 2013, pp. 538-546
Review Article
Therapeutic health booster: seaweeds against several maladies
Lucy Mohapatra*, PremalataPati, Ramachandra Panigrahy & Subrat Kumar Bhattamisra1
Dept. of Marine Science, Berhampur University, Bhanja Bihar, Berhampur, Odisha, India
Dept. of Pharmacology, Roland Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Berhampur, Odisha, India
*
[E-Mail ID: [email protected]]
1
Received 21 May 2012; revised16 August 2012
Seaweeds (marine macro algae) are extremely important oceanic resource having unique secondary metabolites. They
have the potential for supporting industrial development as being source of many essential substances such as
pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutritional supplements etc. Seaweeds offer a wide range of therapeutic possibilities was
established only some decades ahead. Several pharmacologically important metabolites have been discovered from
seaweeds in recent years, the exploitation of seaweeds for therapeutically active molecules is still in its embryonic stage. In
order to harness the rich therapeutic potential of seaweeds the present limited use needs to be diversified into several
applications. Present review highlights a state of art on the medicinal value of seaweeds and their exploitation scenario on a
global scale.
[Keywords: Bioactive compounds; seaweeds; nutraceuticals; phycocolloids;fucoxanthin]
Introduction
The oceans, which cover 70 percent of the surface
of earth, holds 34 out of the 36 phyla of life, whereas,
only 17 phyla reside on land1,2. Marine compounds
can lead to be the new curative ailments for humanity
and thus opening up the possibility of treating many
newly evolving drug resistance diseases. Among the
diverse variety of marine organisms seaweeds are
widely explored for their active metabolites as they
can be easily found in shallow areas of the sea and
thus are easily assessable as compared to the other
marine organisms.There are extraordinary sustainable
resources in the marine ecosystem and have been used
to satisfy several human needs such as food, feed,
fertilizers and medicines since a long time ago.
Seaweeds are commonly classified into three main
groups namely phaeophyta, chlorophyta and
rhodophyta as per their pigmentation. Phaeophyta
(brown seaweeds) contains the carotenoid
fucoxanthin and the primary polysaccharides
alginates, laminarins, fucans and cellulose3-4.
Chlorophyta (green seaweeds) are dominated by
chlorophyll a and b, with ulvan being the
major polysaccharide component5. Rhodophyta
(red seaweeds) consist of the principal pigments,
phycoerythrin and phycocyanin and the primary
polysaccharides agars and carrageenans6.
_____________
*
Corresponding Author
Marine macro algae possess a great variety of
bioactive compounds characterized by a broad
spectrum of biological activities. Compounds isolated
from marine macro algae have demonstrated various
biological activities, such as antibacterial activity,
antioxidant potential, anti-inflammatory properties,
anti-coagulant activity, anti-viral activity and
apoptotic activity7. More than 7000 marine natural
products have been isolated, 25% of which are from
marine macro algae2. Hence, this data reveals that in
the last few decades the discovery of
pharmacologically active metabolites from the
seaweeds has increased tremendously. The history of
Indian seaweed research is not more than 75 years.
India has a stretch of about 7500 km coastline8 and
the seaweed flora of India is highly diversified and
comprise of almost all of the tropical species. The
research interest of many academic and corporate
institutions to discover new active natural metabolites
has initiated many recent studies of seaweeds for
several purposes. However, despite this intense
research very few marine products are there in the
market so far.Several robust new compounds are now
in different phases of clinical trials and are in clinical
development. Substances that currently receive most
attention from pharmaceutical companies for use in
drug developmentor from researchers in the field of
medicine-related
research
include:
sulphated
polysaccharides as antiviral substances, halogenated
LUCY et al., SEAWEEDS AGAINST SEVERAL MALADIES
furanones from Delisea pulchra as antifouling
compounds and Kahalalide Ffrom a species of
Bryopsis as a possible treatment of lung cancer,
tumors and AIDS9. Other substances such as macro
algal lectins, fucoidans, kainoids and aplysiatoxins are
routinely used in biomedical research and a multitude
of other substances have known biological activities.
Present article focuses on several bioactive
chemicals identified in different seaweeds over the
last few decades and simultaneously specifies the
biological activities for which they are responsible.
Health benefits of constituents of edible seaweeds and
their role in nutrition and disease prevention has been
also highlighted in this review. An attempt has been
made to gather sufficient information related to the
use of seaweeds in human health care from ancient
times till date so as to properly elucidate changes that
took place over the years on the subject. Present
scenario of the use of seaweed resources for different
purposes with major importance to medicinal utility is
also discussed.
539
C, D, E, riboflavin, niacin, pantothanic acid, folic acid as
well as minerals like I, Ca, P, Na, K etc10. Concentration
of vitamins like B12, B1, pantothanic acid and folic acid
are usually higher in green and red algae than that of the
brown algae. Brown algae however contain iodine in
greater amounts as compared to red and green algae11.
Not only that but also seaweeds are excellent source of
most of the amino acids needed for life and health. They
are blessed with more than 54 trace elements required
for human body’s physiological functions in quantities
greatly exceeding vegetables and other land plants12.
Green seaweedslike Monostroma, Enteromorpha, Ulva,
Caulerpaand Codiumare commonly used as source of
food. Similarly Laminaria, Undaria, Sargassum,
Cladosiphon, Turbinariaand Colpomenia are some of
the brown seaweed species that are widely eaten in the
form of soup or stew in countries like Japan, Korea, and
China etc. Red seaweeds like Acanthophora,
Asparagopsis, Calophyllis, Hypneaand Laurencia are
eaten fresh, cooked or used to make jellies13.
Seaweeds against several diseases
Seaweeds as a source of functional foods and
nutraceuticals
Use of some seaweed for human consumption
could be traces back to about 300 BC in China and
Japan. Even in several other countries like Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Korea etc., several
seaweeds are widely used as foods. In India however
seaweed consumption is negligible, but due the
importance of seaweeds and their derived product as
nutraceuticals the seaweed derived food supplements
are gaining importance in the market.
There has been an increasing demand for
functional food sthroughout the world. Functional
foods are foods that produce a beneficial effect in one
or more physiological functions increase the welfare
and decrease the risk of suffering a particular disease7.
Recently developed food derived products known as
nutraceuticals are gaining importance in the market.
These are employed as food supplements that can
provide important health benefits. It is usually found
that this type of functional foods is obtained from
traditional foods but they are further enriched with a
functional ingredient that can impart some beneficial
effect in favor of the human health. Most of the edible
seaweeds and their derived bimolecular are widely
used as functional ingredient in many functional foods
and nutraceuticals for their beneficial effects in
counteracting several maladies. They are excellent
source of several important vitamins like A, B1, B12,
History reveals that prior to 1950s the use of
seaweeds for medicinal purpose was mostly restricted
to the traditional and folk medicines of some selected
maritime countries only. It was in 1980s and 90s,
when several pharmacologically active molecules
were discovered from various organisms found in the
sea. According to available data between 1977–1987
regarding the exploitation of algae for discovering
new metabolites, it has been found that they have
been the source of about 35% of the newly discovered
chemicals, followed by sponges (29%) and cnidarians
(22%)14. Discovery of new products from seaweeds
has decreased since 1995 and attention has now
shifted to marine micro-organisms15. In the last few
decades, discovery of pharmacologically active
metabolites from the seaweeds has increased
tremendously those can be used against several
diseases like cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases etc.
Although marine compounds are not commonly
represented in current pharmacopoeias, it is expected
that in the future marine organisms are going to
become an important source of novel compounds.
Here is a brief review of the agents isolated from the
seaweeds effective against several diseases.
Seaweeds vs. cancer
In the past three decades, many researchers have
worked on the antitumor and anticancer activities of
seaweeds. Seaweeds contain large amounts of
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INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 42 NO. 5 SEPTEMBER 2013
antioxidants and polyphenols which constitute their
own protective antioxidative defense systems against
cancer cells. Besides, several oligo and
polysaccharides derived from different seaweeds have
been demonstrated to induce apoptosis in cancer cell
lines16. Carrageenans17 (fig. 1) and alginate18 derived
from seaweeds can inhibit the growth of tumors in
rodents
through
immunomodulating
activity.
According to a study, the alcoholic extract of the red
alga Acantho phoraspicifera exhibits tumoricidal
activity on Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma cells developed
in mice at a dose of 20 mg/kg, comparable to the
standard drug, 5-flurouracil19. Likewise an extract
from the brown seaweed Sargassumthunbergii has
shown to inhibittumor metastasis in the rat mammary
adeno carcinoma cell (13762 MAT)20.
Several
sulphated
marine
macro
algal
polysaccharides have cytotoxic properties. Fucoidan
(fig. 2) moiety obtained from Ascophyllumnodosum
shows an anti-proliferative effect on both normal and
malignant cells, including fibroblasts (Hamster
Kidney Fibroblast CCL39), sigmoid colon
adenocarcinoma cells (COLO320 DM), and smooth
muscle cells21. Takara Bio Inc., of Japan produces a
range of seaweed based products having promising
effect against leukemia, stomach and colon cancer.
Active ingredient is a guluronic rich polysaccharide
extracted from kelps known as U-FucoidanTM.
Another product named ModiflanTM have been also
found to have similar properties and is a
polysaccharide based extract from the kelp
Laminariajaponica. Active components are fucoidan,
laminaran and alginate22. Recent literatures revealed
that, two derivatives of marine alkaloids namely
lophocladine A and lophocladine B, isolated from the
red algae Lophocladia sp. have anticancer activity23,24.
Several seaweed derived metabolites have proven
their efficacy against many forms of cancer. For
example, Stylopoldione, isolated from Stypodium sp.
is a potent cytotoxic metabolite, which halts mitotic
spindle formation25. Compound Condriamide-A
isolated from Chondria sp. exhibits cytotoxicity
towards human nasopharyngeal and colorectal cancer
cells26. Caulerpenyne (fig. 3) obtained from Caulerpa
sp. shows its bioactivity against human cell lines and
to have anticancer, antitumor, and antiproliferating
properties. Two compounds namely meroterpenes and
usneoidone, showing antitumor properties have also
been isolated from Cystophora sp.27. As stated earlier,
another important metabolite namely Kahalalide F
(fig. 4), derived from mollusca, Elysiarufescens, is
actually produced by the green macro alga Bryopsis
sp. has shown its efficacy against human prostate,
lung and colon cancer28. It is currently under phase II
clinical trials for the treatment of lung cancer29.
Similarly another compound namely Apratoxin
Fig. 1 Carragenan
Fig. 3 Caulerpenyne
Fig. 2 Fucoidan
Fig. 4 Kahalalide F
LUCY et al., SEAWEEDS AGAINST SEVERAL MALADIES
A (fig. 5) obtained from Lyngbya boullonihave been
found to have cytotoxicity to adenocarcinoma30.
Recently reported new metabolite namely Largazole
(fig.6) has been isolated from Symplocasp. with
antiproliferative activity31. Finally, it may be added
here that, owing to a diverse chemical ecology,
seaweeds have a great promise for providing potent
anticancer agents.
Seaweeds against obesity and diabetes
In the present scenario, there is a chase for
naturally existing hypolipidemic agents as obesity is a
leading cause of death worldwide and it increases the
likelihood of various diseases like heart disease,
diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, cancer and
osteoarthritis. Also, with increasing prevalence in
adults and children, now a day’s it isconsidered to be
a major stigma in much of the modern world. One of
the major causes that relates to the increasing
prevalence of this condition is the typical modern diet
having high amount of refined and processed products
and lacking the necessary levels of dietary fiber,
minerals and vitamins that are necessary to keep our
bodies healthy. Research has shown that incorporation
of the right amount of dietary fibers in to ones diet
helps in reducing fat absorption. The dietary fiber
Fig. 5 Apratoxin A
Fig. 6 Largazole
541
content of seaweed can be as high as 75% of the total
dry weight which comprises the structural
polysaccharides i.e. alginate and fucoidans (brown
seaweeds), carrageenan, agar and porphyran
(red seaweeds) and ulvan (green seaweeds).These fibers
have been found to produce hypochol esterolemic and
hypolipidemic responses as they tend to reduce
cholesterol absorption in the gut32. One such product is
PolymannTM (Korea Bio Polymer Co. Ltd), which is
based on a purified form of polymannuronic acid from
the kelp Undaria that helps in controlling blood
cholesterol22.In addition to that, seaweeds have low fat
content (<2%) and rich source of PUFAs including the
essential omega (n)-3s LNA, EPA and DHA and
omega-(n)-6 LA (linoleic acid). The n-3 and n-6 fatty
acids have opposing physiological functions that require
a balance for normal growth and development in
humans. A ratio of 5:1 (omega n-6:n-3) is recommended
and brown and red seaweeds provide a good balance
with such ratios33. It has been also found that the brown
algal pigment, fucoxanthin and its metabolite
fucoxanthinol have been shown to induce the expression
of UCP1 a protein that suppresses fat accumulation,
particularly around internal organs in rats and mice,
resulting in an increase of <10% fat oxidation34.
Hypolipidemic activities have been identified in
ethanolic extracts of Solieriarobusta, Iyengariastellata,
Colpomeniasinuosa,
Spatoglossumasperum
and
Caulerparacemosain rats35.
Obesity usually causes insulin resistance and which
further leads to diabetes. Diabetes is a group of
metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar
(glucose) levels that result from defects in insulin
secretion or action or both. Among the several types of
diabetes type 2 diabetes is of common occurrence and is
often associated with the insulin resistance caused due to
obesity. Hence, controlled dietary intake and control of
blood glucose levels are the two major criteria to control
the hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Some
dialectologists suggest that alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
are a cost-effective means to prevent the progression of
diabetes as this enzyme reduces the absorption of
glucose from the gut itself. Seaweeds have shown a
unique way in search of natural alpha-glucosidase
inhibitors from natural resources. Alpha-glucosidase
inhibitory activity and the anti-hyperglycemic effects of
a brown alga, Eckloniastolonifera, were investigated
using non-insulin dependent diabetic mice. Methanolic
extract of E. stolonifera, which contains a high content
of polyphenols, showed strong inhibition of alpha-
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INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 42 NO. 5 SEPTEMBER 2013
glucosidase in vitro36. An aqueous ethanolic extract of
Ascophyllum nodosum was found to be active in
inhibiting rat intestinal alpha-glucosidase (IC50 = 77
microg/mL) and stimulating basal glucose uptake into
3T3-L1 adipocytes during a 20-minute incubation by
about 3-fold (at 400 microg/mL extract)37. According to
some new research, it has been found that poly-phenolic
rich extracts from edible seaweedmay haveanti-diabetic
effects due to their ability to inhibit certain digestive
enzymes. A recent study outlines the antidiabetic effect
of the phlorotannin component of Ascophyllum nodosum
and suggests that the activity was through the inhibition
of both the enzyme activity i.e alpha-amylase and
alpha-glucosidase38. Recently some research reveals that
fucoxanthin, a type of carotenoid found abundantly in
edible brown seaweeds such as Undaria pinnatifida,
Hijikiafusiformis, Sargassum muticum and other fucose
or fucus types of seaweeds have hypoglycemic effect.
Fucoxanthin is also found in red and green seaweeds but
in much lower amount39. Fucoxanthin has the ability to
reduce blood glucose in animals with diabetes and in
normal mice that are fed high-fat diets. The basic
mechanism involved is that, fucoxanthin enhances
glucose transporter 4 mRNA expression of L-6
myotubes, responsible for glucose transport in adult
muscle tissue. It also promotes the synthesis of
docosahexanoic acid (DHA) in the liver which is
thought to increase insulin sensitivity, improve
triglycerides and reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol. This
property of fucoxanthin on intermediary metabolism
makes this carotenoid of great potential value in the
prevention or management of metabolic Syndrome X. A
dietary supplement called LipoxanThin™ consisting of
fucoxanthin produced by the National Bioscience
Corporation (Chester, New York), which is an
organization that has received several patents for the
creation of natural products used in the treatment of
obesity, fatty liver, and hyperlipidemia have the potency
to counteract metabolic syndrome X and improve
insulin sensitivity and blood glucose40.
Seaweeds as immune boosters
When question arises about the protective activity
of the seaweeds then they appear to have endless
potential. With traditional uses against a wide range
of ailments like bee stings, hay fever, Herpes simplex,
intestinal parasites, HIV, snake bites, malaria etc., it
seems as if they have even much to offer. A range of
seaweed derived products have been isolated having
promising anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial
property.
Seaweeds, especially the red one are rich in
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mostly
eicosapentaenoic and docosahexanoic acids. Oxylipins,
metabolized products of PUFAs, found in many red
algae almost resemble eicosanoid hormones in higher
plants and humans which fulfil a range of
physiologically important functions related to
inflammation41. The Gracilarialichenoides have been
proven to be rich source of prostaglandins as PGE2 and
PGF242. PGE2 and 15-keto-PGE2 were found in
Gracilaria asiatica43. Similarly PGA2, PGE2, PGF2 and
15-keto-PGE2 are found in Gracilariaverrucosa44.
Sulphated polysaccharides like fucoidan are well known
and marketed for their anti-inflammatory activity. The
mechanism is that this moiety promotes the growth of
fibroblasts and thus repairs inflamed cells. An ecosanoid
like compound named 6-n-tridecylsalicylic acid isolated
from the brown seaweed Caulocystis cephalornithos has
shown anti-inflammatory activity almost comparable to
salicylic acid. A compound named Caulerpeyne,
obtained from green seaweed Caulerpahas been shown
to be effective against bees stings9. High intake of
seaweed has been shown to reduce the prevalence of
allergic rhinitis, hay fever in Japanese women22. These
examples and studies suggest that the seaweeds can
prove to be better anti-inflammatory agents in the
nearby future.
Diverse range of seaweed derived compounds show
antimicrobial activity against wide range of
microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and also
several diseases causing virus. A halogenated furanone,
or fimbrolide, that belong to a class of lactones
obtained from Delisea pulchra has a promising
antibacterial activity against chronic Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
infection.
Similarly
depsipeptide
skahalalide A and F obtained from Bryopsis species
have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis9.
However some studies suggest that sulphated
polysaccharides from brown seaweeds, namely
fucoidan, are also active against a range of gram
positive and gram negative bacteria45. Red seaweeds
show antiviral activities towards viruses’ responsible
for human infectious diseases as they have been proven
to be rich source of sulphated polysaccharides.
Galactansulphate from Aghardhiella tenera46 and
xylomannan sulphate from Nothogenia fastigiata47are
active against human immunode-ficiency virus (HIV),
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 and
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Some commercial
antiviral preparations are readily available. For
LUCY et al., SEAWEEDS AGAINST SEVERAL MALADIES
example, Carraguard™ (containing 3% carrageenan),
which is under phase III clinical trial in South Africa and
Botswana in 2003 has been shown to block HIV and
other sexually transmitted diseases in vitro. Another
sulphated
polysaccharide
obtained
from
Schizymeniapacifica inhibits HIV reverse transcriptase48.
Besides, Fucoidan has potent antiviral properties
towards viruses such as RSV, HIV, HSV types 1 and 2
and human cytomegalovirus9. The mechanism involved
is that they inhibit binding of the viral particle to the host
cell49. Some uncharacterised polysaccharide fractions
obtained from Caulerpa sp., Corallina sp.,
Hypneacharoides, Padinaar borescensand Sargassum
patens have antiviral activity against HSV types 1 and 2
while maintaining low levels of cytotoxicity50. A product
named Viracle™ (Marine BioMedical Research Pty.
Ltd., Australia) contains an extract from the kelp
Undariashows confirmed inhibitory activity against
HSV and HIV22. Some seaweeds show antifungal
properties. For example, proteins isolated from the red
alga Hypneamusiformis were active against human
pathogenic yeasts51 but usually the horticultural industry
utilize the antifungal properties of seaweeds more for
controlling disease and pest.
Seaweeds as antithrombotic & anticoagulant activity
It has been found that fucoidans present in brown
seaweeds have in vivo and in vitro heparin-like
antithrombic and anticoagulant activities that are
mediated by blood coagulation inhibitors such as
heparin cofactor II or antithrombin III52. Further it was
also established that this activity usually increases with
the amount of sulphation53. Preparations from the
brown seaweeds Acophyll umnodo summand Fucus
vesiculosus with sulphated fucanshave been patented as
anticoagulants9. They have also several advantages
over heparin. Some older literature suggests that a
compound named laminaran (fig.7) have anticoagulant
543
properties but there is every possibility that this activity
may be due to fucoidan which is often present in the
same extracted fraction as laminaran54.
Seaweeds for beauty enhancement
Recently, seaweeds are becoming increasingly
popular for use as Spa and Thalasso therapy products.
In the development of Spa products the seaweeds play
an important role, whether as seaweed wraps, pastes
of milled seaweeds or Iris hot seaweed detox baths55.
Not only this, but also extract of seaweeds is often
found on the list of ingredients on cosmetic packages
meant for face, hand and body. It has been stated that
seaweeds based cosmetics tighten, tone, stimulate
blood and lymph circulation, deep clean and increase
the moisture levels and elasticity of the skin56. This
may be due to their nutrient and anti-oxidant
properties that aid the ability of the skin to absorb and
maintain minerals that promote a healthy and glowing
appearance and thereby they are now extensively used
in cosmetic applications. Several varieties of
seaweeds are used in cosmetics at present. Laminaria
spp are the most common among the brown algae in
cosmetic industry.The bladder wracks such as
Fucusvesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum are also
utilized for different purposes to a limited extent.
Similarly among the red algae, Chondrus crispus,
Mastocar pusstellatu sand Porphyra spp are widely
used as cosmetic ingredients57. It has been reported
that Kelp, brown seaweed containing high amount of
silicon, is believed to protect skin from wrinkling and
sagging56. Available information further suggests that
many red seaweed derived products like agar and
brown seaweed derived product like alginate are
commonly used as thickeners in many cosmetics and
hair products. Presently several clinical trials have
proven the anti-ageing and wrinkle-reducing
properties of seaweed derived products. Some of the
Australian companies like Maritech and Marinova
have reported the clinical usefulness of their seaweed
extracts in reducing wrinkles and improving skin
appearance of ageing skin58,59.Thus, seaweeds have
proved themselves as miracle in the field of
cosmetics.
Demand for seaweeds and seaweed derived Products
Fig. 7 Laminaran
Seaweeds became an industrial resource much
earlier than any other marine organisms. History
supports the fact that the seaweeds have been used as
potential source for the production of agar,
carrageenan and alginate. Pharmaceutical firms have
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INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 42 NO. 5 SEPTEMBER 2013
started exploring the marine world for new drugs
some decade’s ago9. Some reports suggest that the
thrust for searching new active metabolites from
seaweeds has increased during the last few decades.
According to a study, more than 1200 novel
compounds were isolated from red, brown and green
algae during 1985-2008. The approximate numbers
were 100-200 from green; 400-500 from brown and
up to 700 from the red algae. Majority of these
compounds have shown promising biological
activities indicating their suitability as potential
drugs60. Observing the nutritional importance of
several seaweeds as per their content of various
vitamins, minerals and trace elements (already
discussed in this article), many edible seaweeds are
gaining importance in the food industries for
production of food supplements and nutraceuticals.
Although, the prospects for direct use of algae in
human nutrition and in medicines are somehow
limited, there exists good prospects for continued
growth and demand for phycocolloids and similar
products from seaweed. There has been a tremendous
increase in demand of the seaweed derived
phycocolloids like alginate, agar, carrageenans etc.
over the years. For example, the average production
of alginate was increased to 50000 tons by 1995
which was between 22000-25000 tons per year as per
a report published in the year 1990. It has been
projected that the increase could be double through
the seaweed aquaculture production as evident from
the trend of increase during 1996-200413.
The developed nations of the world are consuming
more and more quantities of polysaccharides of all
kinds obtained from seaweeds due to their numerous
applications, more so in foods and drink preparations,
cosmetics, detergents, paints, textiles, automobile
products, oil drilling lubricants and many other
industrial products. In the U.S.A. alone, some half
million tons of seaweed derived polysaccharides of
one kind or another are now utilized annually. The
recent rates of growth in demand for these products
are in order of 8 to 10 percent annually61. With such
ascending swing of the use of seaweeds the demands
can be met at affordable prices shall largely depend
upon the availability of raw materials. As the natural
resources of seaweeds have been over exploited due
to their intensiveuse; the only alternative is to enhance
aquaculture production that can supplement the
natural stock. The other alternative may be search for
new novel compounds from these unique denizens of
marine domain. This could be achieved through
development
in
the
research
programmes
concentrated to search new metabolites from
seaweeds that can be used to combat the emerging
diseases of the present and in future millennium.
Hence in the search for “Drugs and pharmaceuticals
from the Sea” programme, researchers can
concentrate their efforts on the seaweeds to obtain
pharmacologically important active metabolites.
Conclusion
The main objective of writing this article is to
provide an overview of the medicinal and nutritional
properties of seaweeds. As on date the use of
seaweeds has shown satisfactory development in
several industries especially in pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics, nutritional supplements etc. and further
expansion is also in good inprogress. However the
mystery of exploring new active metabolites from the
marine macro algae has not been solved completely.
Therefore, it forms an area of research in future. It is
hoped that this review will help to spark interestto
take forward research work pertaining to the
secondary metabolites in seaweeds and their utility.
The persuasion of research by researchers to discover
the pharmacological significant products and
metabolites from seaweeds shall provide tremendous
benefit in the new millennium.
Acknowledgement
The corresponding author, Lucy Mohapatra-SRF
(CSIR)wishes to acknowledge the financial assistance
provided by CSIR in the form of fellowship.
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