Fundamentals on seaweed potential as a promising share of nutraceuticals in alleviating the obese problem

Abstract

Herbal and non-herbal extracts achieve an increased and continuous welcome as nutraceuticals in Global market demand eg., Green tea for weight loss and cancer, Ginkgo biloba to improve cognitive activities and Glucosamine in arthritis. WHO reports as 80% of world’s population relies on traditional medicine, historically provided many novel drug leads and plays a pivotal role in the facet of drug discovery. Nowadays, seaweeds cultivation is becoming very essential, as there is an inadequate natural seaweeds stock to meet the industrial need. For more than thousands of years, the medicinal effects viz., treatment of burns, rashes and wounds, of seaweeds are well established. From the literature, the marine sponges do contain many chemicals and are the good sources of minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers. However, the potential effects of these nature-based species, are awaiting exploration. These challenges can be overcome by the advent of new nutraceutical formulation, which do ensure a bio-enhancing, immune-stimulating and a drug adjunct effect in bioactivities. Edible seaweeds offer interesting possibilities to develop healthier drugs and are the formidable source of nutrients and bio-compounds with proven benefits against degenerative metabolic diseases and Obesity.