Fucoxanthin marine organisms

The principle problem of algae as sources of lipids is their high water (70-90%) and low lipid content. Despite their lipid content (-7%), the fatty acids of marine algae have aroused considerable interest among researchers for their nutritional value to other marine organisms, occurrence of bioactive conjugated fatty acids, and potential medical applications. The annual production of carotenoids from seaweeds is estimated to be approximately 100 million tons, of which fucoxanthin, the main carotenoids from brown seaweed, contributes more than 10% (Matsuno, 2001). 

The end groups of acetylenic carotenoids like alloxanthin (8), found in algae and marine organisms, are structurally related to the end groups of fucoxanthin (9), the most abundant natural carotenoid . The allene and acetylene bonds are known to be biogenetically linked in polyacetylenes and the same seems likely to apply to... 

These evidences suggest that among various naturally occurring substances in marine organisms, fucoxanthin proves to be one of the useful candidates in search for effective, nontoxic substances with potential antioxidant activity. Moreover, fucoxanthin is one of the most abundant carotenoid in the nature and could be used as a rich source of natural antioxidants with potential application in the food industry as well as cosmetic and pharmaceutical areas. 

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