ABSTRACT
The oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface with marine species comprising approximately half of the total global biodiversity (Kim and Wijesekara, 2010; Swing, 2003). Hence, the wide diversity of marine organisms is being recognized as a rich source of functional materials, including polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), polysaccharides, natural pigments (NPs), essential minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and bioactive peptides (Shahidi, 2008; Shahidi and Alasalvar, 2010; Shahidi and Janak Kamil, 2001). Among marine organisms, seaweeds are still identified as underexploited plant resources although they have long been used in food diets as well as traditional remedies in Eastern hemisphere (Heo et al., 2009).
