Recent Advances and Research Challenges in Bioprospecting Of Brown Seaweeds

Abstract

The brown algae (Phaeophyta) are estimated to be comprised of 1,500 to 2,000 species which is almost entirely marine, as compared to the green algae (Chlorophyta), comprising of 6,000 to 8,000 species out of which 90% are freshwater rather than marine, and the red algae (Rhodophyta) comprising of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 species of which 90% are marine. While the red algae are used commonly as sources of industrial gelling agents and as feed in aquaculture, and the green algae for consumption, the brown algae are harnessed for extraction of many valuable chemicals of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical significance. There are numerous reports on the functions and utilities of brown seaweeds from countries worldwide, and seaweeds have become one of the most celebrated entities in the modern world. Although intense research is going on in various aspects of seaweeds, the release of finished products or drugs is limited to a few, due to some key challenges that need to be addressed while processing these seaweeds. This chapter discusses the bioactive compounds obtained from brown seaweeds, their processing, economic significance, recent research advances leading to the effective utilization of seaweeds, and the key challenges involved in the successful bioprospecting of these seaweeds.