Compounds Derived From Marine Organisms Show Potential As Functional Food Ingredients

Ingredients derived from marine organisms, including shrimp and clams, and red and brown algae, offer some potential to the nutraceutical and functional food industries, according to Korean research. Marine food-derived antioxidants such as bioactive peptides, chitooligosaccharide derivatives, sulfated polysaccharides, phlorotannins and carotenoids all have the potential for use in the food industry. Proteins in marine foods contain potential functional food ingredients such as bioactive peptides that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Chitin, a polysaccharide made from  crab and shrimp shells, could someday be used to treat hypertension, heart failure and other conditions. Brown, red and green algae contain compounds that studies have shown offer “various health benefits,” such as anti-HIV1, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects.