Brown Macroalgae as Valuable Food Ingredients

Abstract

Due to the balanced nutritional value and abundance of bioactive compounds, seaweeds represent great candidates to be used as health-promoting ingredients by the food industry. In this field, Phaeophyta, i.e., brown macroalgae, have been receiving great attention particularly due to their abundance in complex polysaccharides, phlorotannins, fucoxanthin and iodine. In the past decade, brown algae and their extracts have been extensively studied, aiming at the development of well-accepted products with the simultaneous enhancement of nutritional value and/or shelf-life. However, the reports aiming at their bioactivity in in vivo models are still scarce and need additional exploration. Therefore, this manuscript revises the relevant literature data regarding the development of Phaeophyta-enriched food products, namely those focused on species considered as safe for human consumption in Europe. Hopefully, this will create awareness to the need of further studies in order to determine how those benefits can translate to human beings.