Seaweed as a sustainable future food source

Abstract

Seaweed is a kind of high-quality resource with wide distribution, short growth period and variety. They contain a variety of bioactive substances, including vitamins, proteins, polysaccharides, minerals, phenols and terpenes. Seaweed is also a source of a new class of high-quality protein, and it also contains some active ingredients not found in land plants. These bioactive substances give seaweed powerful physiological functions so that it is used in medical, food, cosmetics and other industries. At present, the development of seaweed is still relatively simple, and its application potential is far more than that. With the support of rich active substances, seaweed is considered to be a healthy food for sustainable applications in the future. On this basis, future applications such as the development of plant-based meat, plant-based protein and space food using seaweed are proposed in this paper.