Seafood as Functional Food Ingredients and Nutraceuticals

The growing global demand for nutraceuticals and functional foods has resulted in a substantial increase in the consumption and utilization of seafood. Due to the diversity in living conditions, aquatic animals have distinct nutritional properties and bioactive components compared to terrestrial animals. Seafood is widely used for the development of functional and nutraceutical foods as they are rich in ω-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, chitosan, enzymes, dietary fibers, phenolic compounds, and proteins. Functional food ingredients have enormous health benefits, lowering the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, increasing fetal health, and reducing the cost of healthcare. Therefore, in this chapter, the health benefits, functional food ingredients, and extraction procedures involved in the isolation of bioactive compounds from seafood are discussed.