The Potential Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products Derived from Marine Seaweed and Algae for Cancer Therapy

Marine algae or seaweeds are autotrophic organisms that contain chlorophyll for oxygenic photosynthesis and live in marine or brackish water. These plants have a wide metabolic range and produce a variety of chemicals that can be exploited in medication research. Furthermore, they can be easily grown in bioreactors to produce large amounts of biomass and a variety of marine chemicals for medication development. Carotenoids obtained from marine seaweed and algae inhibit cancer cell multiplication and survival. Chlorella species can be used to extract lutein, β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin, among other carotenoids. Carotenoids isolated from the green algae Chlorella ellipsoidea and C. vulgaris were found to inhibit the multiplication of human colon cancer cells in one investigation.