Nutraceutical potential of marine macroalgae – Ecuador

Abstract

Since ancient times seaweed has been used as a food source, especially in Asian countries, and in the West its application had been limited only to the pharmaceutical and industrial field. However, there are properties in the structure and composition of macroalgae that can be beneficial in the food area, in addition to being able to be included in the diet as functional foods and nutraceuticals. The main objectives were to evaluate the nutraceutical potential of marine macroalgae from Ecuador, analyze their results, show more abundant nutritional components and establish their most beneficial food uses. It is a descriptive and documentary study with a qualitative approach. The review and selection of scientific articles was carried out, whose main source were search engines such as Google Scholar, databases such as Scopus and Scielo, applying filters with words related to the study of algae and nutritional components. The included studies date from years between 1986 and 2021. According to the documentary analysis realized, it was possible to detail in the most cases that three classes of algae were studied: red, green and brown, whose main components are high in fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and lipids. The uses and benefits that can be given to macroalgae are very broad, its main characteristic is to be a natural food and rich in macro and micronutrients essential for humans, so its study is still ongoing.