Potential products from macroalgae: An overview

Abstract

Macroalgae are a fascinating and diverse group of organisms broadly known as 'seaweeds', living in the marine environment. In terms of total market value, the macroalgae-based food industry is estimated to be around USD 5 billion per year and the global macroalgae market is projected to reach a value of USD 17.59 billion by 2021 (Energy 2019). Macroalgal seaweeds are classified into three major groups based on their pigments viz., the green algae (Chlorophyta), the brown algae (Phaeophyta), and the red algae (Rhodophyta). The macroalgal biomass has abundance of nutrients and a variety of bioactive compounds. They are not only rich in carbohydrate, protein, lipid, vitamin and fiber but also contain essential amino acids and minerals. With decades of research, scientists have explored their capabilities of producing a wide range of bioactive compounds with immense importance in industrial sectors including biopharmaceutical, food and nutraceuticals. In particular, the largest seaweed market sector is attributed to hydrocolloids such as agar, alginate, and carrageenan. There is significant potential to develop technologies for high value bioproducts from seaweeds. Therefore, this chapter deals with macroalgae-based bioproducts in different stages of commercialization in various sectors including - biofuels, foods, nutraceuticals therapeutics, cosmetics, biofertilizers, animal and aquaculture feeds.