ABSTRACT

Ninety percent of the world’s living biomass is found in the oceans, with marine species comprising approximately half of the total global biodiversity (Pangestuti and Kim 2011). Therefore, marine organisms with their wide diversity are being recognized as rich sources of pharmacological materials (Shahidi 2008; Shahidi and Alasalvar 2011; Shahidi and Janak Kamil 2001). Among marine organisms, marine algae (sometimes referred as seaweeds) have long been used as traditional remedies in the Eastern hemisphere (Heo et al. 2009). The term “marine algae,” as used herein, generally refers to marine macroalgae or sometimes referred as seaweeds.