Potential of seaweed bioactives for pharmaceutical applications [Potencial de los bioactivos de las algas marinas para aplicaciones farmacéuticas]

Context: Seaweed is a notable source of bioactive constituents, including polysaccharides, fatty acids, proteins, polyphenols, and pigments. Bioactives exhibit many biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antiobesity properties. Due to its abundant beneficial compounds and balanced composition, seaweed has emerged as a viable and unique source of novel pharmaceutical materials. Aims: To consolidate current knowledge on seaweed bioactives, highlight eco-friendly extraction techniques, and explore their prospective pharmaceutical applications. Methods: A thorough literature review was performed to collect pertinent studies on the potential of seaweed bioactives for pharmaceutical applications. The search spanned many databases and comprised papers published between 2002 and 2024. The chosen papers were meticulously analyzed to obtain relevant information for this critical review. Results: Bioactives from seaweed are a promising source for application in the pharmaceutical field. Various bioactives, including polysaccharides, fatty acids, polyphenols, proteins, and pigments, can exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-obesity activities. Eco-friendly extraction methods for maximizing bioactive yield from seaweed include ultrasound-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, enzymatic-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and pressurized liquid extraction. Conclusions: Future strategies should emphasize the application of bioactive seaweed-derived chemicals in the pharmaceutical sector, given existing challenges such as drug resistance. Moreover, seaweed has emerged as a viable alternative for nanoparticle synthesis, hence enhancing the potential application of these by-products in engineering and medical sciences.