Abstract
Seaweeds (marine macroalgae) are autotrophic organisms capable of producing many compounds of interest. For a long time, seaweeds have been seen as a great nutritional resource, primarily in Asian countries to later gain importance in Europe and South America, as well as in North America and Australia. It has been reported that edible seaweeds are rich in proteins, lipids and dietary fibers. Moreover, they have plenty of bioactive molecules that can be applied in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic areas. There are historical registers of harvest and cultivation of seaweeds but with the increment of the studies of seaweeds and their valuable compounds, their aquaculture has increased. The methodology of cultivation varies from onshore to offshore. Seaweeds can also be part of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), which has great opportunities but is also very challenging to the farmers. This multidisciplinary field applied to the seaweed aquaculture is very promising to improve the methods and techniques; this area is developed under the denominated industry 4.0.
Highlights
Seaweeds are benthic organisms ubiquitously distributed along coasts from tropical to polar regions
This review aims to provide an overview on seaweed aquaculture, gathering the recent developments, with emphasis on new methods to potentiate the production of compounds of interest to different sectors, from biotechnology to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical [2]
Carrageenan produced by seaweed is not assimilated by the human body, acting as a fiber with no nutritional value, it has a property that can be employed to gel, thicken and stabilize food products and food systems [135]
Summary
Seaweeds are benthic organisms ubiquitously distributed along coasts from tropical to polar regions. Seaweeds are grouped in three divisions: brown algae (Ochrophyta-Phaeophyceae), red algae (Rhodophyta) and green algae (Chlorophyta) These organisms are producers of many structural molecules (primary metabolites), such as proteins, lipids and carbohydrates, and they produce other interesting bioactive compounds (secondary metabolites) that can have applications in many sectors (food, feed, agriculture, cosmetics, pharmaceutical andbiotechnological) [2]. Sulfated polysaccharides from seaweed have shown important potential pharmacological uses, such as their anti-ulcer effects, by preventing adhesion of the infection caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori [26] These marine organisms are normally used in the cosmetics sector as bioactive extracts, coloring agents, texturing stabilizers or emulsifiers and are a source of different compounds used in skincare [27]. This review aims to provide an overview on seaweed aquaculture, gathering the recent developments, with emphasis on new methods to potentiate the production of compounds of interest to different sectors, from biotechnology to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical [2]
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