Potential Blue Bioresources to Develop Functional Foods

Functional foods are foods with therapeutic properties that enhance health along with nutritional properties. This review provides information about the potential of using marine ingredients to develop functional foods by elaborating on the nutritional and therapeutic effects of bioactive compounds found in marine bioresources. Microalgae, marine fungi, bacteria, marine invertebrates, vertebrates, and marine plants are marine resources, and some of the bioactive compounds obtained from marine resources are polysaccharides, fatty acids proteins, peptides, amino acids, many types of essential macro and trace elements, pigments, and phenolic compounds. Marine bioactive compounds have shown many therapeutic properties, including anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and immune regulatory activities. These compounds can be used in the functional food industry in the form of nano or micro-particles, liposomes, gels, liquids, solids, pastes, and emulsions to overcome the challenges that could occur during product formulation and processing. Overall, this book chapter reveals the important facts about marine bioresources (except Seaweeds) and their functional potentials that the majority are unaware of. It also identifies that future research studies should be carried out.

Keywords: Functional foods, Marine functional ingredients, Marine bioresources, Therapeutic marine compounds.