Sustainable Global Resources of Seaweeds Volume 2

Book excerpt: Marine plant life is an abundant source of nutrients that enhance the daily diet. In recent years, consuming diets rich in seaweeds or their extracts have been shown to provide health benefits due to being rich in macronutrients, micronutrients and nutraceuticals. The commercial value of seaweeds for human consumption is increasing annually, and some countries harvest several million tons annually. The seaweeds industry is valued at around $12 billion in 2017, and supports millions of families worldwide. Seaweeds production grew globally by 30 million tons in 2016. Seaweeds have seen increasing usage in the food industry due to their abundance of beneficial nutrients, vitamins and ω–3 fatty acids. To date there have been no books that comprehensively cover up-to-date information on seaweeds cultivation, processing, extraction and nutritional properties. This text lays out the properties and effects of seaweeds from their use as bioresources to their use in the feed industry to their applications in wastewater management and biofuels. Sustainable Global Resources of Seaweeds Volume 2: Industrial Perspectives offers a complete overview of the application of seaweeds into food, pharmaceuticals and other health-based applications. The first section focuses on the various foods derived from seaweeds, including extensive insight into the beneficial nutrients these plants contain. The many functional foods derived from sea plants are covered in detail, including foods from tropical seaweeds, macroalgae, Monostroma, Caulerpa, Palmaria, Gracillaria, Porphyra, Laminaria, Fucus, Undaria, and many more. The chapters delve further into the nutritional makeup of these foods, their health benefits and chemical makeup. A second section is dedicated to the pharmaceutical applications of seaweeds and their many health benefits. With chapters devoted to vitamin sources, health properties and pharmaceutical applications, this section acts as a single source for researchers exploring the pharmaceutical applications and possibilities of seaweeds. Research, development, and commercial applications are explored, plus a complete picture of the multitude of health benefits derived from these plentiful and beneficial plants. For researchers in search of a comprehensive and up-to-date source on the application of nutrient-rich seaweeds from across the world into novel foods and pharmaceuticals, look no further than this volume.