Recent advances in biological properties of brown algae-derived compounds for nutraceutical applications

Abstract

The increasing demand for nutraceuticals in the circular economy era has driven the research toward studying bioactive compounds from renewable underexploited resources. In this regard, the exploration of brown algae has shown significant growth and maintains a great promise for the future. One possible explanation could be that brown algae are rich sources of nutritional compounds (polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, proteins, minerals, and vitamins) and unique metabolic compounds (phlorotannins, fucoxanthin, fucoidan) with promising biological activities that make them good candidates for nutraceutical applications with increased value-added. In this review, a deep description of bioactive compounds from brown algae is presented. In addition, recent advances in biological activities ascribed to these compounds through in vitro and in vivo assays are pointed out. Delivery strategies to overcome some drawbacks related to the direct application of algae-derived compounds (low solubility, thermal instability, bioavailability, unpleasant organoleptic properties) are also reviewed. Finally, current commercial and legal statuses of ingredients from brown algae are presented, considering future therapeutical and market perspectives as nutraceuticals.

Keywords:

• Macroalgae
• health-promoting compounds
• bioactivities
• encapsulation
• current market

Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results was supported by MICINN supporting the Ramón y Cajal grant for M.A. Prieto (RYC-2017-22891) and Jianbo Xiao (RYC-2020-030365-I), and by Xunta de Galicia for supporting the program EXCELENCIA-ED431F 2020/12, the post-doctoral grant of L. Cassani (ED481B-2021/152), and the pre-doctoral grants of P. Garcia-Oliveira (ED481A-2019/295), and M. Carpena (ED481A 2021/313). The research leading to these results was supported by the EcoChestnut Project (Erasmus + KA202) that supports the work of J. Echave. Authors are grateful to Ibero-American Program on Science and Technology (CYTED—AQUA-CIBUS, P317RT0003), to the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 888003 UP4HEALTH Project (H2020-BBI-JTI-2019). The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the Bio Based Industries Consortium. The project SYSTEMIC Knowledge hub on Nutrition and Food Security, has received funding from national research funding parties in Belgium (FWO), France (INRA), Germany (BLE), Italy (MIPAAF), Latvia (IZM), Norway (RCN), Portugal (FCT), and Spain (AEI) in a joint action of JPI HDHL, JPI-OCEANS and FACCE-JPI launched in 2019 under the ERA-NET ERA-HDHL (n° 696295). The authors would like to thank the EU and FCT for funding through the programs UIDB/50006/2020; UIDP/50006/2020 and project PTDC/OCE-ETA/30240/2017- SilverBrain - From sea to brain: Green neuroprotective extracts for nanoencapsulation and functional food production (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030240).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.