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Looking Beyond the Terrestrial: The Potential of Seaweed Derived Bioactives to Treat Non-Communicable Diseases
Collins, Kenneth G. Fitzgerald, Gerald F. Stanton, Catherine Ross, R Paul
Collins, Kenneth G.
Fitzgerald, Gerald F.
Stanton, Catherine
Ross, R Paul
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2016-03-18
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Collins KG, Fitzgerald GF, Stanton C, Ross RP. Looking Beyond the Terrestrial: The Potential of Seaweed Derived Bioactives to Treat Non-Communicable Diseases. Mar Drugs. 2016 Mar 18;14(3):60. doi: 10.3390/md14030060
Abstract
Seaweeds are a large and diverse group of marine organisms that are commonly found
in the maritime regions of the world. They are an excellent source of biologically active secondary
metabolites and have been shown to exhibit a wide range of therapeutic properties, including
anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. Several Asian cultures
have a strong tradition of using different varieties of seaweed extensively in cooking as well as
in herbal medicines preparations. As such, seaweeds have been used to treat a wide variety of
health conditions such as cancer, digestive problems, and renal disorders. Today, increasing numbers
of people are adopting a “westernised lifestyle” characterised by low levels of physical exercise
and excessive calorific and saturated fat intake. This has led to an increase in numbers of chronic
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus,
being reported. Recently, NCDs have replaced communicable infectious diseases as the number one
cause of human mortality. Current medical treatments for NCDs rely mainly on drugs that have been
obtained from the terrestrial regions of the world, with the oceans and seas remaining largely an
untapped reservoir for exploration. This review focuses on the potential of using seaweed derived
bioactives including polysaccharides, antioxidants and fatty acids, amongst others, to treat chronic
NCDs such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus.