Designed as the primary reference for the biotechnological use of macroalgae, this comprehensive handbook covers the entire value chain from the cultivation of algal biomass to harvesting and processing it, to product extraction and formulation. In addition to covering a wide range of product classes, from polysaccharides to terpenes and from enyzmes to biofuels, it systematically discusses current and future applications of algae-derived products in pharmacology, medicine, cosmetics, food and agriculture. In doing so, it brings together the expertise of marine researchers, biotechnologists and process engineers for a one-stop resource on the biotechnology of marine macroalgae.

Designed as the primary reference for the biotechnological use of macroalgae, this comprehensive handbook covers the entire value chain from the cultivation of algal biomass to harvesting and processing it, to product extraction and formulation. In addition to covering a wide range of product classes, from polysaccharides to terpenes and from enyzmes to biofuels, it systematically discusses current and future applications of algae-derived products in pharmacology, medicine, cosmetics, food and agriculture. In doing so, it brings together the expertise of marine researchers, biotechnologists and process engineers for a one-stop resource on the biotechnology of marine macroalgae.

"The chapters are organized well, and the preface explains how the concept of food is changing over time and how marine organisms are considered as healthy food." —P.N. Sudha, DKM College for Women, Tamil Nadu, India The relationship between food and health has been a growing concern in modern society, and the importance of information on their connection has elevated accordingly. People are becoming prone to diseases due to the deterioration of the environment. Despite a growing interest in preventative medicine in the healthcare sector, few medications can be called preventative drugs. Foods may exhibit completely different functions in a living body, depending on whether their components are simple substances providing energy and nutrition, or valid "functional entities." This book covers all aspects of healthcare solutions through marine-derived materials, with twenty-six chapters exploring an array of topics pertaining to human health in everyday life. Beginning with an introduction to food functionality and disease presentation, Chapters Two to Nine discuss chitin, chitosan, and the production and application of chitosan oligosaccharides regarding anti-cancer, anti-aging, and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, utilization of these cationic polysaccharides in artificial skin development, the prevention of alcohol consumption, dentistry, systemic diseases prevention and Alzheimer dementia are discussed in subsequent chapters. In Chapters Ten and Thirteen, I discuss obesity, osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction and sleep disorders using fisheries products. Additionally, Chapters Fourteen to Eighteen detail the use of marine algae to treat diabetics, allergy, asthma, AIDS and hair loss, as well as the use of fisheries products for hypertension and athlete’s foot. Chapters Twenty-Two through Twenty-Six then shed light on the anti-aging effects of fish, the abundance of taurine in shellfish, antifreeze protein, food shortages through fish breeding, and cosmeceutical product development using marine organisms.

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are the most common pathologies of the central nervous system currently without a cure. They share common molecular and cellular characteristics, including protein misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, glutamate toxicity, dysregulation of calcium homeostasis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and ageing, which contribute to neuronal death. Efforts to treat these diseases are often limited by their multifactorial etiology. Natural products, thanks to their multitarget activities, are considered promising alternatives for the treatment of neurodegeneration. This book deals with two different forms of natural products: extracts and isolated compounds. The study of the bioactivity of the extracts is extremely important as many studies have demonstrated the synergistic effect of the combination of different natural products. On the other hand, the investigation of the activity of specifically isolated natural products can be also important to understand their cellular and molecular mechanisms and to define the specific bioactive components in extracts or foods. This book can be considered an important contribution to knowledge of the neuroprotective effect of natural products and presents a great deal of information, related to both the benefits but also the limitations of their use in counteracting neurodegeneration.