Nutritional value of seaweeds and their potential to serve as nutraceutical supplements

ABSTRACT

Seaweeds are marine autotrophic organisms with numerous bioactive compounds of interest. Several seaweed products are available in the form of food or medicine due to their myriad beneficial biomolecules like anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. The information presented herein gives an overview of the current knowledge of seaweed nutritional values and their potential application as nutraceutical supplements for health benefits in terms of mineral content, vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidants and dietary fibres. Seaweeds rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamin) can be an alternative food for vegetarians, as vegetables and fruits are poor sources of these elements. Seaweed-based functional food products and supplements have great potential health benefits and can potentially help to improve malnutrition.

KEYWORDS:

• Antioxidant
• Bioactive molecules
• Dietary fibres
• Nutrition
• Polysaccharides
• Seaweed
• Vitamins

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author acknowledges the support of the Director, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, and Dr Manguesh Gauns. The author is also thankful to the Editors Dr. Eva Rothausler and Dr. António José Calado for their valuable comments and language corrections that have immensely improved the quality of the article. This is NIO contribution number 6797.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).