antioxidant, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory activities [44, 45]. Microalgae
are familiarly consumed as a dietary supplement in the form of pills, tablets, or
powder. Howbeit, they have also been included into a variety of functional foods,
such as bread, noodles, drinks, biscuits, beer, and sweets. Several companies sell
algal products, such as AlgaVia
® which produces protein- and lipid-rich algal flour
from Chlorella protothecoides [46]. Large amount of microalgal proteins being
produced by recombinant DNA technology are used as drugs and referred as
biopharmaceuticals and biologics.
2.6 Diterpenes
Diterpenes are a large class of structurally distinct natural compounds which are
extensively present in marine brown algae belonging to the family Dictyotaceae.
These algal diterpenes are propitious drug candidate attributable to their incredible
pharmacological activity. Diterpenes like dictyodial, dicytol H, dicytol C from
Dictyota ciliolate exhibit potent cytotoxic and antiviral activities [47]. Diterpenes
extracted from D. menstrualis were found to be effective against HIV-1 [48].
3 Applications
3.1 As Antimicrobial Agents
In spite of the fact that microalgae can produce significant amount of bioactive
compounds, their use as antimicrobials is still in its early stages. Until now, very
small number of compounds have been extracted and utilized commercially. Some
of the compounds extracted from microalgae have potential applications in market as
antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral drugs. Table 3 lists some of the antimicrobial
compounds extracted from different types of algae.
3.2 As Anticancerous Agents
The conventional techniques available for the treatment of cancer kill randomly the
normal cells and multiply cancer cells consequently damaging the DNA. However,
the microalgal compounds shield the normal cells from damage and cause cytotoxic
effects on the cancerous cells. Some of the anticancerous compounds extracted from
microalgae are represented in Table 4.
Applications and Efficacy of Exceptional Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae
167
are familiarly consumed as a dietary supplement in the form of pills, tablets, or
powder. Howbeit, they have also been included into a variety of functional foods,
such as bread, noodles, drinks, biscuits, beer, and sweets. Several companies sell
algal products, such as AlgaVia
® which produces protein- and lipid-rich algal flour
from Chlorella protothecoides [46]. Large amount of microalgal proteins being
produced by recombinant DNA technology are used as drugs and referred as
biopharmaceuticals and biologics.
2.6 Diterpenes
Diterpenes are a large class of structurally distinct natural compounds which are
extensively present in marine brown algae belonging to the family Dictyotaceae.
These algal diterpenes are propitious drug candidate attributable to their incredible
pharmacological activity. Diterpenes like dictyodial, dicytol H, dicytol C from
Dictyota ciliolate exhibit potent cytotoxic and antiviral activities [47]. Diterpenes
extracted from D. menstrualis were found to be effective against HIV-1 [48].
3 Applications
3.1 As Antimicrobial Agents
In spite of the fact that microalgae can produce significant amount of bioactive
compounds, their use as antimicrobials is still in its early stages. Until now, very
small number of compounds have been extracted and utilized commercially. Some
of the compounds extracted from microalgae have potential applications in market as
antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral drugs. Table 3 lists some of the antimicrobial
compounds extracted from different types of algae.
3.2 As Anticancerous Agents
The conventional techniques available for the treatment of cancer kill randomly the
normal cells and multiply cancer cells consequently damaging the DNA. However,
the microalgal compounds shield the normal cells from damage and cause cytotoxic
effects on the cancerous cells. Some of the anticancerous compounds extracted from
microalgae are represented in Table 4.
Applications and Efficacy of Exceptional Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae
167