A Comprehensive Review of the Nutraceutical and Therapeutic Applications of Red Seaweeds (Rhodophyta)

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

The red seaweed group (Rhodophyta) is one of the phyla of macroalgae, among the groups Phaeophyceae and Chlorophyta, brown and green seaweeds, respectively. Nowadays, all groups of macroalgae are getting the attention of the scientific community due to the bioactive substances they produce. Several macroalgae products have exceptional properties with nutraceutical, pharmacological, and biomedical interest. The main compounds studied are the fatty acids, pigments, phenols, and polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are the most exploited molecules, which are already widely used in various industries and are, presently, entering into more advanced applications from the therapeutic point of view. The focuses of this review are the red seaweeds’ compounds, its proprieties, and its uses. Moreover, this work discusses new possible applications of the compounds of the red seaweeds.

Related collections

Most cited references 154

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution.

Mario Giordano, John Beardall, John Raven (2005)

The evolution of organisms capable of oxygenic photosynthesis paralleled a long-term reduction in atmospheric CO2 and the increase in O2. Consequently, the competition between O2 and CO2 for the active sites of RUBISCO became more and more restrictive to the rate of photosynthesis. In coping with this situation, many algae and some higher plants acquired mechanisms that use energy to increase the CO2 concentrations (CO2 concentrating mechanisms, CCMs) in the proximity of RUBISCO. A number of CCM variants are now found among the different groups of algae. Modulating the CCMs may be crucial in the energetic and nutritional budgets of a cell, and a multitude of environmental factors can exert regulatory effects on the expression of the CCM components. We discuss the diversity of CCMs, their evolutionary origins, and the role of the environment in CCM modulation.

0 comments Cited 346 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation.

Wolfgang Maret, Harold Sandstead (2006)

The adult human contains 2-3g of zinc, about 0.1% of which are replenished daily. On this basis and based on estimates of bioavailability of zinc, dietary recommendations are made for apparently healthy individuals. Absent chemical, functional, and/or physical signs of zinc deficiency are assumed indicative of adequacy. More specific data are seldom available. Changing food preferences and availability, and new food preparation, preservation, and processing technologies may require re-evaluation of past data. Conservative estimates suggest that 25% of the world's population is at risk of zinc deficiency. Most of the affected are poor, and rarely consume foods rich in highly bioavailable zinc, while subsisting on foods that are rich in inhibitors of zinc absorption and/or contain relatively small amounts of bioavailable zinc. In contrast, among the relatively affluent, food choice is a major factor affecting risk of zinc deficiency. An additional problem, especially among the relatively affluent, is risk of chronic zinc toxicity caused by excessive consumption of zinc supplements. High intakes of zinc relative to copper can cause copper deficiency. A major challenge that has not been resolved for maximum health benefit is the proximity of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and the reference dose (RfD) for safe intake of zinc. Present recommendations do not consider the numerous dietary factors that influence the bioavailability of zinc and copper, and the likelihood of toxicity from zinc supplements. Thus the current assumed range between safe and unsafe intakes of zinc is relatively narrow. At present, assessment of zinc nutriture is complex, involving a number of chemical and functional measurements that have limitations in sensitivity and specificity. This approach needs to be enhanced so that zinc deficiency or excess can be detected early. An increasing number of associations between diseases and zinc status and apparently normal states of health, where additional zinc might be efficacious to prevent certain conditions, point at the pharmacology of zinc compounds as a promising area. For example, relationships between zinc and diabetes mellitus are an area where research might prove fruitful. In our opinion, a multidisciplinary approach will most likely result in success in this fertile area for translational research.

0 comments Cited 235 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: found

Is Open Access

Carotenoids in Algae: Distributions, Biosyntheses and Functions

Shinichi Takaichi (2011)

For photosynthesis, phototrophic organisms necessarily synthesize not only chlorophylls but also carotenoids. Many kinds of carotenoids are found in algae and, recently, taxonomic studies of algae have been developed. In this review, the relationship between the distribution of carotenoids and the phylogeny of oxygenic phototrophs in sea and fresh water, including cyanobacteria, red algae, brown algae and green algae, is summarized. These phototrophs contain division- or class-specific carotenoids, such as fucoxanthin, peridinin and siphonaxanthin. The distribution of α-carotene and its derivatives, such as lutein, loroxanthin and siphonaxanthin, are limited to divisions of Rhodophyta (macrophytic type), Cryptophyta, Euglenophyta, Chlorarachniophyta and Chlorophyta. In addition, carotenogenesis pathways are discussed based on the chemical structures of carotenoids and known characteristics of carotenogenesis enzymes in other organisms; genes and enzymes for carotenogenesis in algae are not yet known. Most carotenoids bind to membrane-bound pigment-protein complexes, such as reaction center, light-harvesting and cytochrome b 6 f complexes. Water-soluble peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein (PCP) and orange carotenoid protein (OCP) are also established. Some functions of carotenoids in photosynthesis are also briefly summarized.

0 comments Cited 194 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

All references

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Life (Basel)

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Life (Basel)

Journal ID (publisher-id): life

Title: Life

Publisher: MDPI

ISSN (Electronic): 2075-1729

Publication date (Electronic): 26 February 2020

Publication date Collection: March 2020

Volume: 10

Issue: 3

Electronic Location Identifier: 19

Affiliations

[1 ]MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3001-456 Coimbra, Portugal; jcotas@ 123456gmail.com (J.C.); adrianaleandro94@ 123456hotmail.com (A.L.); dianampacheco96@ 123456gmail.com (D.P.); amgoncalves@ 123456uc.pt (A.M.M.G.)

[2 ]Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

Author notes

[* ]Correspondence: leonel.pereira@ 123456uc.pt ; Tel.: +351-239-855-229

Author information

João Cotas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5244-221X

Adriana Leandro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8791-6569

Leonel Pereira https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6819-0619

Article

Publisher ID: life-10-00019

DOI: 10.3390/life10030019

PMC ID: 7151636

PubMed ID: 32110890

SO-VID: 9863fe40-98d3-4107-b7b2-8b6b4455961e

License:

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

A Comprehensive Review of the Nutraceutical and Therapeutic Applications of Red Seaweeds (Rhodophyta)

Read this article at

Abstract

Related collections

Electrospinning for biomedical applications

Most cited references 154

CO2 concentrating mechanisms in algae: mechanisms, environmental modulation, and evolution.

Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation.

Carotenoids in Algae: Distributions, Biosyntheses and Functions

Author and article information

Journal

Affiliations

Author notes

Author information

Article

History

Categories

Comments

Comment on this article

Similar content 343

Cited by 31

Most referenced authors 1,899