Antioxidant activities of marine algae: A review

Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant homeostasis that leads to the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). The necessity of compounds with antioxidant activity is increasing as it is realized that the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have been linked in the pathogenesis of several human diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders and certain types of cancer. The antioxidant activity of these compounds are mainly attributed to scavenging activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, chelating ability, quenching singlet and triplet oxygen, and reducing power. It is important to develop, identify and utilize new source of safe and effective antioxidants of natural origin. Recently, much research attention has been focused on the free-radical-scavenging activity of metabolites from marine macro algae. Several studies have investigated the antioxidant activity of natural products in marine and freshwater algae. The marine environment is known as a rich source of chemical structures with numerous beneficial health effects.