Macroalgal Nutraceuticals and Phycotherapeutants

Marine macroalgae are emerging candidates for mitigating life style disorders. The vast history of their utilization from South Asian countries provides strong evidence for their selective suitability in routine diet. The ever increasing awareness for alternative and herbal medicine have led to the explorations into these unique marine resources that are enriched with medically valuable bioactives. The types of bioactive pharmaceuticals include peptides as well as unique sulfated carbohydrates in addition to the secondary metabolites such as polyphenols which make these biomass highly valuable commodity compared to the terrestrial plants. The chapter summarises introductory remarks on the ecological role of marine macroalgae followed by their key therapeutic roles of various bioactive metabolites as mentioned above that include metabolic disorders, microbial infections and the recently unraveled role in modulation of gut-microbiome. The chapter also discusses the key limitations in the development of marine based therapeutants such as the possible toxicity, cultivation practices and supply-chain and environmental influences. The chapter is concluded discussing the future prospects in the area.