Seaweeds or Micro algae brown algae (Phaeophyta), red algae (Rhodophyta), and green algae (Chlorophyta) :

Seaweed is a type of marine plant that grows in oceans and seas. It is used in many products like food, cosmetics, fertilizers and even in medicine.

 It grows in shallow waters and doesn’t require land or freshwater, making it an eco-friendly crop. It’s becoming popular worldwide as a healthy food because it’s easy to grow and needs little care. Seaweed is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It helps fight diseases like cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart problems and high blood pressure. It also boosts immunity and keeps the body healthy.

 Seaweeds or Micro algae refer to numerous species of multicellular photosynthetic organism. 

 They are classified as:-

i) brown algae (Phaeophyta), 

ii)red algae (Rhodophyta), and 

iii)green algae (Chlorophyta)

The main edible seaweeds are:-

 Japanese kelp (Laminaria japonica), 

Kombu (Sacharinna spp.), 

Gracilaria spp.,

 Nori Nei (Porphyra spp.), 

Eucheuma seaweeds nei (Eucheuma spp.), 

Laver or Nori (Porphyra tenera), 

Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), 

Elkhorn Sea moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii), 

Hijiko or Hiziki (Sargassum fusiforme), 

Umudggasari (Gelidium amansii), and

Gamtae (Eckonia cava), among others

Edible seaweeds are consumed directly, for example, as an ingredient for sushi wraps or in salads and soups. Hence, based on their nutritional composition, they can be classified as “novel food” according to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

 In general, seaweeds contain macronutrients, including carbohydrates (dietary fiber), proteins (essential amino acids), and lipids (essential fatty acids, n-3 and n-6), and micronutrients, such as minerals and vitamins. 

These components have shown various health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial

 In addition to macronutrients, several red seaweeds, such as Gelidium, Gracilaria, and Neopyropia, are used for agar and carrageenan production, and brown seaweeds are used for alginate production, which are commonly used in cosmetics, food additives, ingredients in functional food, and pharmaceutical products 

Bioactive compounds commonly found in seaweed include polysaccharides (e.g., sulfated, alginate, carrageenan, agar, dietary fiber, laminaran), lipids and fatty acids (e.g., essential fatty acids), proteins and peptides,carotenoids and polyphenols,and minerals (such as iodine) and vitamins, and different methods are used to extract these compounds

In addition to food consumption, seaweeds can be used as food additives, which are substances that are added to foods to maintain or improve their safety, freshness, flavor, texture, or appearance.

Traditionally, the uses of seaweeds are based on the improvement of physicochemical or rheological properties, such as stabilizing agents, thickeners, gelling agents, flocculants, water retention capacity, and emulsifiers. It is known that seaweeds contain chemical compounds such as polysaccharide, i.e., carrageenan, alginate, and agar, which are used as hydrocolloids (phycocolloids)