ABSTRACT
26The valorization of brown algae biomass and its by-products is a topic of growing interest due to its potential as a source of renewable energy and high value-added products. Brown algae are a type of marine algae found in cold and temperate waters around the world. The biomass of brown algae can be exploited in a variety of ways. One of the most promising applications is the production of biofuels from the sugars and lipids found in the algae. These biofuels can be used as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels in sectors such as transportation and electricity generation. In addition to biofuels, brown algae can also be used as a feedstock to produce high value-added chemicals. For example, the polysaccharides present in brown algae have gelling and thickening properties and are therefore used in the food and cosmetics industry. Other brown algae by-products include bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties, which have applications in the pharmaceutical and functional food industry. In addition to their potential as a source of energy and high value-added chemicals, brown algae also offer significant environmental benefits. The most important of these is that they are bioindicator species for environmental pollution. Because of their ability to bind heavy metals and other chemical species in water, they have been widely used as an indicator of pollution in the environments in which they grow. Additionally, they have been used as adsorbents of these pollutants due to the properties of their cell wall. For all these reasons, brown algae are at the center of novel environmental applications that are currently being developed. Both the biomass itself and its by-products are materials of great economic and environmental value and will continue to be so in the coming years.
