Nutraceuticals
This chapter deals with the exploitation of microbes from marine sources as potential sources for various nutraceuticals and their possibilities for applications in a variety of diseases and as functional food supplement.
Abstract
Therapeutic compounds can be derived from various natural sources like plants, animals, marine organisms, and micro-organisms. Although the marine biota accounts for around 50% of the total world biodiversity, their potential as a rich source of bioactive products and their applications in both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries have only recently been identified through several scientific studies. Marine biotechnology is an upcoming area that involves about the study of marine microorganisms and animals including algae, sponges, and coral as a novel source of bioactive substances that can be used in the treatment of various human diseases like cancer, anaemia, diarrhea, obesity, diabetes, atopic dermatitis, Crohn's disease, etc. Very limited scientific data is available on the bioactive potential of marine microorganisms. This chapter deals with the exploitation of microbes from marine sources as potential sources for various nutraceuticals and their possibilities for applications in a variety of diseases and as functional food supplement.