Seaweed is more than the wrap that keeps rice together in sushi. Seaweed biomass is already used for a wide range of other products in food, including stabilising agents. Biorefineries with seaweed as feedstock are attracting worldwide interest and include low-volume, high value-added products and vice versa. Scientific research on bioactive compounds in seaweed usually takes place on just a few species and compounds. This paper reviews worldwide research on bioactive compounds, mainly of nine genera or species of seaweed, which are also available in European temperate Atlantic waters, i.e. Laminaria sp., Fucus sp., Ascophyllum nodosum, Chondrus crispus, Porphyra sp., Ulva sp., Sargassum sp., Gracilaria sp. and Palmaria palmata. In addition, Undaria pinnatifida is included in this review as this is globally one of the most commonly produced, investigated and available species. Fewer examples of other species abundant worldwide have also been included. This review will supply fundamental information for biorefineries in Atlantic Europe using seaweed as feedstock. Preliminary selection of one or several candidate seaweed species will be possible based on the summary tables and previous research described in this review. This applies either to the choice of high value-added bioactive products to be exploited in an available species or to the choice of seaweed species when a bioactive compound is desired. Data are presented in tables with species, effect and test organism (if present) with examples of uses to enhance comparisons. In addition, scientific experiments performed on seaweed used as animal feed are presented, and EU, US and Japanese legislation on functional foods is reviewed.

Bioactive compounds in seaweed: functional food applications and legislation

Fucoidan refers to a type of polysaccharide which contains substantial percentages of L-fucose and sulfate ester groups, mainly derived from brown seaweed. For the past decade fucoidan has been extensively studied due to its numerous interesting biological activities. Recently the search for new drugs has raised interest in fucoidans. In the past few years, several fucoidans' structures have been solved, and many aspects of their biological activity have been elucidated. This review summarizes the research progress on the structure and bioactivity of fucoidan and the relationships between structure and bioactivity.

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Fucoidan: Structure and Bioactivity

Carrageenans: biological properties, chemical modifications and structural analysis - a review.

Global demand for macroalgal and microalgal foods is growing, and algae are increasingly being consumed for functional benefits beyond the traditional considerations of nutrition and health. There is substantial evidence for the health benefits of algal-derived food products, but there remain considerable challenges in quantifying these benefits, as well as possible adverse effects. First, there is a limited understanding of nutritional composition across algal species, geographical regions, and seasons, all of which can substantially affect their dietary value. The second issue is quantifying which fractions of algal foods are bioavailable to humans, and which factors influence how food constituents are released, ranging from food preparation through genetic differentiation in the gut microbiome. Third is understanding how algal nutritional and functional constituents interact in human metabolism. Superimposed considerations are the effects of harvesting, storage, and food processing techniques that can dramatically influence the potential nutritive value of algal-derived foods. We highlight this rapidly advancing area of algal science with a particular focus on the key research required to assess better the health benefits of an alga or algal product. There are rich opportunities for phycologists in this emerging field, requiring exciting new experimental and collaborative approaches.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10811-016-0974-5.pdf

Betty Matsuhiro

Papers

FT-IR spectra of alginic acid block fractions in three species of brown seaweeds.

Opuntia spp mucilage's: a functional component with industrial perspectives

Characterization of a fucoidan from Lessonia vadosa (Phaeophyta) and its anticoagulant and elicitor properties.

Complexes of macrocycles with pendant arms as models for biological molecules

Alginic acids in Lessonia trabeculata: characterization by formic acid hydrolysis and FT-IR spectroscopy.