Health benefit of fucosterol from marine algae: a review

Seaweeds belong to a group of marine plants known as algae, which are consumed as sea vegetables in several Asian countries. Recent studies have focused on the biological and pharmacological activities of seaweeds and their highly bioactive secondary metabolites because of their potential in the development of new pharmaceutical agents. Although several varieties of bioactive novel compounds such as phlorotannins, diterpenes and polysaccharides from seaweeds have already been well scrutinized, fucosterol as a phytosterol still needs to reinvent itself. Fucosterol (24‐ethylidene cholesterol) is a sterol that can be isolated from algae, seaweed and diatoms. Fucosterol exhibits various biological therapeutics, including anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antihyperlipidemic, antifungal, antihistaminic, anticholinergic, antiadipogenic, antiphotodamaging, anti‐osteoporotic, blood cholesterol reducing, blood vessel thrombosis preventive and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. In this review, we address some potential approaches for arbitrating novel fucosterol biologics in the medical field, focusing on the selection of personalized drug candidates and highlighting the challenges and opportunities regarding medical breakthroughs. We also highlight recent advances made in the design of this novel compound, as the significant health benefits from using these optimized applications apply to the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Bioactive Peptides Derived from Seaweed Protein and Their Health Benefits: Antihypertensive,Antioxidant, and Antidiabetic Properties

Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are the biggest causes of death globally. Therefore, prevention of these diseases is a focus of pharmaceuticals and functional food manufacturers. This review summarizes recent research trends and scientific knowledge in seaweed protein‐derived peptides with particular emphasis on production, isolation and potential health impacts in prevention of hypertension, diabetes and oxidative stress. The current status and future prospects of bioactive peptides are also discussed. Bioactive peptides have strong potential for use in therapeutic drug and functional food formulation in health management strategy, especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Seaweeds can be used as sustainable protein sources in the production of these peptide‐based drugs and functional foods for preventing such diseases. Many studies have reported that peptides showing angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition, antihypertensive, antioxidative and antidiabetics activities, have been successfully isolated from seaweed. However, further research is needed in large‐scale production of these peptides, efficient isolation methods, interactions with functional foods and other pharmaceuticals, and their ease to digestion in in vivo studies and safety to validate the health benefits of these peptides.     

Recent developments in the application of seaweeds or seaweed extracts as a means for enhancing the safety and quality attributes of foods

The production of rancid flavors and odors due to oxidative stress in foods can lead to a reduction in the sensory attributes, nutritional quality and food safety. Due to consumer demands, interest has been generated in searching plant products for natural “green” additives. Extracts from macroalgae or seaweeds are rich in polyphenolic compounds which have well documented antioxidant properties. They also have antimicrobial activities against major food spoilage and food pathogenic micro-organisms. Thus, possibility of seaweeds being added to foods as a source of antioxidant and antimicrobial is the main focus of this communication. In addition, seaweeds are also rich in dietary minerals specially sodium, potassium, iodine and fibers. Another potential area where the use of seaweed is gaining importance is regarding their addition for improving the textural properties of food products which is also extensively reviewed in this paper.

Industrial relevance

The trend towards the use of “natural green” plant extracts in various food and beverages in the food industry is gaining momentum. Seaweed, being a rich source of structurally diverse bioactive compounds with valuable nutraceutical properties, can be used as an ingredient to supplement food with functional compounds. Interest in the application of such compounds as natural antioxidants, antimicrobials or texturing agents in different food products is greater than ever. The addition of seaweeds or their extracts to food products will reduce the utilization of chemical preservatives, which will fulfill the industry as well as consumer demands for “green” products. In addition, the current status and the future projections in the functional effects of seaweeds as a means to improve the fiber content and reduce the salt content of food products, which will be of significant importance to the meat industry, is also discussed.     

Edible mushrooms’ enrichment in food and feed: A mini review

Dietary fibres and high fibre-containing foods have been a huge attraction among researchers and nutraceutical industries due to their health-promoting benefits. From Greek and Roman times, edible mushrooms are considered the ‘elixir of life’ and are often stated as a new source of dietary fibre. Containing rich sources of essential amino acids and polysaccharides, mushrooms are viewed as an advantage over protein sources of both animal and plant origin. Additionally, the ability of mushrooms to grow under controlled conditions and attain high yield in a short span has made this added-value food of extreme interest. Nowadays, mushrooms and their by-products have been used to fortify various food products as well as for use in animal feed owing to their bioactive, therapeutic and nutritional value. Hence, this review intends to highlight the current knowledge on edible mushrooms and their waste for food and feed enrichment and nutritional purposes, along with their role in human and animal diet.     

Fucoidans as a natural bioactive ingredient for functional foods

Functional food is considered to be any food or food component that provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Recently, a great deal of interest has been paid by the consumers towards natural bioactive compounds as functional ingredients in the diets due to their various health beneficial effects. Notably, marine resources have been recognized as rich sources of structurally diverse biologically active compounds with great application potential in marine functional foods. Among them, fucoidans have been found to possess various bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-tumor, anti-obesity, anti-coagulant, anti-viral, anti-hepatopathy, anti-uropathy, and anti-renalpathy effects. Hence, this contribution focuses on fucoidans derived from marine sources and presents a brief overview of their biological activities with health benefits.     

海藻乳酸菌发酵的研究进展

海藻是一类重要的海洋资源,富含大量营养元素如蛋白质、碳水化合物、维生素和矿物质,以及多糖、酚类等生物活性物质。由于海藻营养价值极高,利用乳酸菌发酵海藻促进生物活性化合物的产生和释放,具有良好的健康效益。因此,本文根据国内外近年来利用乳酸菌发酵海藻的相关研究报道,对乳酸菌发酵类型、乳酸菌发酵海藻的可行性和乳酸菌主要种类、以及乳酸菌在海藻发酵中的效果和作用进行阐述,同时综述了乳酸菌发酵海藻在食品行业中的开发应用现状,并对今后发展趋势和前景进行展望,为藻类乳酸菌发酵制品的开发提供一定参考。     

Marine food-derived functional ingredients as potential antioxidants in the food industry: An overview

Recently, a great deal of interest has been developed by the consumers towards natural bioactive compounds as functional ingredients in the food products due to their various health beneficial effects. Hence, it can be suggested that antioxidative functional ingredients from marine foods and their by-products are alternative sources for synthetic ingredients that can contribute to a consumer's well-being, as a part of nutraceuticals and functional foods. This contribution presents an overview of the marine food-derived antioxidants such as bioactive peptides, chitooligosaccharide derivatives, sulfated polysaccharides, phlorotannins and carotenoids with the potential utilization in the food industry.     

Polysaccharides from Enteromorpha tubulosa: Optimization of extraction and cytotoxicity

An ultrasound‐assisted procedure for the extraction of water‐soluble polysaccharides from Enteromorpha tubulosa was studied by using response surface methodology. Three independent variables including extraction time, extraction temperature, and ratio of liquid to raw material were investigated by single‐factor experiments. A three‐factor‐three‐level Box–Behnken design was adopted to optimize the extraction process parameters. A highly significant second‐order polynomial equation was fitted by using multiple regression analysis. The optimal extraction conditions were obtained as follows: extraction time 36 min; extraction temperature 69 °C; and ratio of liquid to raw material 45 mL/g. By experiments with these conditions, the extraction yield was 16.04%, which was well matched with the predicted value. The obtained polysaccharides were evaluated for cytotoxicity in vitro against human breast cancer cell line MCF‐7 and the results showed that the polysaccharides possessed potent cytotoxicity.

Practical applications

Seaweeds are one of the largest numbers and species of marine plants, and their bioactive compounds, especially algal polysaccharides, have become the focus of research in the field of food and medicine. Moreover, many algal polysaccharides have been gradually applied to food and medicine owing to their varied biological activities, such as antivirus, antitumor, antiradiation, antimutation, antioxidation, and enhancing immunity. However, there is no universal extraction process for polysaccharides from the different seaweeds because of the different structures of the seaweeds and the varying compositions of algal polysaccharides. In the current research, an ultrasound‐assisted procedure for the extraction of water‐soluble polysaccharides from Enteromorpha tubulosa was studied by using response surface methodology, and the optimal extraction conditions were obtained so as to provide references for the mass productions in the factories.     

Therapeutic potential of abalone and status of bioactive molecules: A comprehensive review

Marine organisms are increasingly being investigated as sources of bioactive molecules with therapeutic applications as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In particular, nutraceuticals are gaining popularity worldwide owing to their therapeutic potential and incorporation in functional foods and dietary supplements. Abalone, a marine gastropod, contains a variety of bioactive compounds with anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer activities. For thousands of years different cultures have used abalone as a traditional functional food believing consumption provides health benefits. Abalone meat is one of the most precious commodities in Asian markets where it is considered a culinary delicacy. Recent research has revealed that abalone is composed of many vital moieties like polysaccharides, proteins, and fatty acids that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. A review of past and present research is presented with relevance to the therapeutic potential of bioactive molecules from abalone.     

海洋植物多糖及其在食品工业应用的研究进展

海洋植物是指生活在海洋中且能进行光合作用的自养生物,除最常见的海藻外还包括海草、红树植物等。由于海洋植物特殊的生存环境,其多糖结构表现出多样性、复杂性和特殊性等特点,并具有抗菌、抗病毒、抗氧化、抗肿瘤和抗凝血等多种生理活性,是一类重要的功能食品因子。此外,由于其良好的物理特性,海洋植物多糖还广泛应用于新型包装材料的开发。该文综述了国内外对海洋植物多糖的研究及其在食品工业中的应用,为基于海洋植物多糖的功能食品开发及应用提供更多参考。     

海藻中活性物质抗高血压与抗肥胖作用的研究现状

海藻是海洋中最古老的低等隐花植物之一,随着人们对海洋生物资源的深入研究,海藻已成为天然生物活性物质开发的重要来源之一,近年来从其分离出的活性物质包括多糖类、蛋白质、多酚类、不饱和脂肪酸等,为海藻提供了多种生物学功能,如抗肿瘤、降血糖、免疫调节等活性,目前已广泛应用于食品、医药行业。为了发掘海藻更多的功能特性,拓展海藻开发利用的空间,促进人类的身体健康,本文主要综述海藻的抗高血压、抗肥胖活性的研究进展,首先简要概述了国内外人群高血压及肥胖的现状及发病机制,分析了海藻几种主要的活性成分特性,最后详细阐述了海藻起降血压、减肥功能的活性物质的研究现状,以期为全球高血压及肥胖等慢性代谢病的缓解治疗提供多样化的思路,丰富人们对海藻及海藻产品的认识,为海洋资源的进一步开发研究提供文献参考。     

Bio-screening of a few green seaweeds from India for their cytotoxic and antioxidant potential

BACKGROUND: It has been evidenced in several epidemiological studies that seaweeds when consumed as diet protect against several chronic oxidative stress‐related diseases. Seaweeds, raw, cooked, or dried, are used as food in many cultures, although not very popularly in India. Globally, several studies have indicated that seaweeds are a rich source of phenolic compounds and have antioxidant properties. In the present study, we screened methanolic extracts (MEs) of five species of green seaweeds commonly found in India for their cytotoxic activity by brine shrimp lethality assay and antioxidant properties using various in vitro assays, including 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, reducing power and metal ion chelating assays. RESULTS: A markedly variable, dose‐dependent activity was observed in all the seaweed extracts relative to their total phenolic content. Statistical analysis indicated a significantly strong correlation between the DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content (R² = 0.88, P < 0.05) as well as reducing power and total phenolic content (R² = 0.99, P < 0.01) of the dry MEs. Also, a very poor correlation between total phenolic content and metal chelating activity (R² = 0.13, P > 0.05) was noted. None of the seaweed extracts were potently cytotoxic. CONCLUSION: The underlying results endorse seaweeds as a rich, novel source of antioxidant compounds needing systemic exploration. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Food protein-based materials as nutraceutical delivery systems

Incorporation of bioactive compounds–such as vitamins, probiotics, bioactive peptides, and antioxidants etc.–into food systems provide a simple way to develop novel functional foods that may have physiological benefits or reduce the risks of diseases. As a vital macronutrient in food, proteins possess unique functional properties including their ability to form gels and emulsions, which allow them to be an ideal material for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds. Based on the knowledge of protein physical–chemistry properties, this review describes the potential role of food proteins as substrate for the development of nutraceutical delivery systems in the form of hydrogel, micro-, or nano- particles. Applications of these food protein matrices to protect and delivery-sensitive nutraceutical compounds are illustrated, and the impacts of particle size on release properties are emphasized.     

Functional properties and health benefits of bioactive peptides derived from Spirulina: A review

Bioactive peptides represent specific sequences of amino acids that have biological activity with several health effects and potential applications, which can be obtained from diverse protein sources. Spirulina, the cyanobacterium known for its high protein content and therapeutic properties, has been investigated as a potential source of bioactive peptides. Some bioactive peptides derived from Spirulina are under study for their ability to offer specific health benefits, such as antimicrobial, antiallergic, antihypertensive, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties. Bioactive peptide fractions from Spirulina biomass can be obtained through a series of operations, including cell lysis and protein extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, potential bioactivity screening, fractionation, and purification. Potentially, Spirulina-derived peptide fractions can be applied as nutraceutical ingredients in foods and pharmaceuticals. This article reviews the functional properties and health benefits of bioactive peptides from Spirulina, and presents potential mechanisms by which bioactive components can be exploited in the development of novel foods with special health claims. In addition, this article describes recent developments in proteomics, bioactivity screening methods, and opportunities for designing future peptide-based foods.     

Hypotensive,hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of bioactive compounds from microalgae and marine micro‐organisms

Microalgae and marine micro‐organisms (MMs) have received increasing attention for the production of biologically active compounds due to their exclusive characteristics, which have adapted to the specific and extreme conditions of environments. These micro‐organisms are of considerable importance as new and promising potential sources of a huge number of natural bioactive compounds for functional foods and pharmaceutical development. Important natural bioactive compounds exhibiting a wide range of activities such as antimicrobial, antitumour, antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antituberculosis, antiparasitic, anthelmintic, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects have recently been isolated. To date, only a small number of MMs have been investigated for hypotensive, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities. This study focuses specifically on revealing and discussing prospective human applications of MMs on functional foods and clinical practice and their metabolites associated with hypotensive, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities.     

Enrichment of nutritional compounds in seaweeds via abiotic stressors in integrated aquaculture

Seaweeds may contain significant amounts of essential proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals, offering an alternative, sustainable, healthy food source from the sea. However, there are yet challenges impending their full exploitation. Our study presents an innovative, two-step aquaculture approach integrating seaweeds and finfish, dedicated to enrich seaweeds with nutritional compounds. The approach involves diverting fish effluents rich in nutrients into a series of seaweed cultivation tanks. Then, the seaweeds were exposed to short-term abiotic stressors (namely, high irradiance, nutrient starvation, and high salinity) to stimulate synthesis of desired ingredients in their tissues. Our methodology enabled high growth rates of up to 25% seaweed biomass increase per day, with significant enhancements in the amount of protein, starch, and minerals within days. Moreover, the seaweeds presented elevated bioremediation capabilities assimilating the ammonia nitrogen, NO₃ and PO₄ with high uptake rates, and with 50–75% removal efficiencies.Industrial relevanceThe rising public awareness to quality of healthier food products has stimulated growing demand for seaweed supply. Our new approach suggests a promising direction toward the transition from seaweed production of raw, commodity seaweed biomass, to a tailored production of functional seaweeds, enriched with valued compounds that can be utilized in the emerging food and health industries.     

Utilization of seaweed derived ingredients as potential antioxidants and functional ingredients in the food industry: An overview

Recently, a great deal of interest has been developed to isolate novel bioactive compounds from marine resources because of their numerous health beneficial effects. Among marine resources, marine algae are valuable sources of structurally diverse bioactive compounds with potential to be used against artificial food ingredients. This mini-review focuses on seaweed-derived bioactive compounds such as phlorotannins, sulfated polysaccharides, carotenoid pigments, and fucosterol with their potential antioxidant effect in the food industry as functional ingredients.     

Current and potential uses of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste

Food industries produce huge amounts of processing waste that are often disposed of incurring expenses and impacting upon the environment. For these and other reasons, food processing waste streams, in particular marine processing waste streams, are gaining popularity amongst pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries as sources of bioactive molecules. In the last 30 years, there has been a gradual increase in processed marine products with a concomitant increase in waste streams that include viscera, heads, skins, fins, bones, trimmings and shellfish waste. In 2010, these waste streams equated to approximately 24 million tonnes of mostly unused resources. Marine processing waste streams not only represent an abundant resource, they are also enriched with structurally diverse molecules that possess a broad panel of bioactivities including anti‐oxidant, anti‐coagulant, anti‐thrombotic, anti‐cancer and immune‐stimulatory activities. Retrieval and characterisation of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste also contributes valuable information to the vast field of marine natural product discovery. This review summarises the current use of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste in different products and industries. Moreover, this review summarises new research into processing waste streams and the potential for adoption by industries in the creation of new products containing marine processing waste bioactives. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Benefits of using algae as natural sources of functional ingredients

Algae have been suggested as a potential source of bioactive compounds to be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. With the strong development of functional foods as a method to improve or maintain health, the exploration of new compounds with real health effects is now an intense field of research. The potential use of algae as source of functional food ingredients, such as lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, phenolics, carotenoids, etc., is presented, together with the different possibilities of improving valuable metabolites production either using the tools and the knowledge provided by marine biotechnology or improving the different factors involved in the production on a large scale of such metabolites. The bio‐refinery concept is also presented as a way to improve the efficient use of algae biomass while favouring process sustainability. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry