The Primary Bioactive Compounds of Seaweeds

Seaweeds are diverse group of organisms distributed in the marine environments. There are three major group of seaweeds as red, brown and green algae. Seaweeds have been used as human food since ancient times. They are a good source of nutrients such as proteins, polysaccharides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. There is a growing recognition in recent years that seaweeds are important sources of bioactive compounds with various biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiocoagulant and anticancer effects. Therefore, seaweeds are used in multiple applications including in the dietary supplement, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This chapter presents the structural and biological properties of bioactive compounds of seaweeds as well as their potential for use for health benefits due to their diverse functional properties.