ABSTRACT
Seaweeds are an excellent source of biologically active components from marine ecosystems that exhibit various interesting biological activities. Brown algae are presently being investigated because of their viable and new sources of pharmacologically active substances for both human and animal health applications. Serious efforts have been made to extract and discover new compounds with medicinal and pharmaceutical activities, but very few compounds have real effectiveness. The biologically active molecules in brown algae include polysaccharides, phlorotannins, and diterpenes, these are mostly sulfated polysaccharides and are also reported to have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory, and anti-cancer properties. Polysaccharides, with the main bioactive potential of fucoidan, alginate, laminarin, and galactan toward various health benefits, are the major components in brown algae. The present review gives attention to the bioactivities of brown algae based on recent research results in health, pharmaceutical, and the research potential of a variety of bioactive compounds. In this chapter, the reviewed literature will provide new insights into the brown algal functions and their compounds in pharmacological applications.
