Anticancer activities of marine macroalgae: status and future perspectives

Marine macroalgae have attracted unprecedented interest as health food and additives, predominantly because of the plethora of biological activities, including anticancer activities. This review presents an updated and comprehensive status of macroalgal anticancer activities based on in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. The interplay between the various molecular targets contributing to the proapoptotic, antiangiogenic, antiinvasive, and antimetastatic activities of the macroalgae and their derived compounds are reviewed here. In addition, this contribution highlights the ability of macroalgal extracts and compounds to act as cancer chemopreventive agents, by virtue of their antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antihypoxic, and antimutagenic propensities within the context of the various taxa. Intraspecific variations of anticancer activities in different geographic locations are highlighted. With less than 3% of world’s marine macroalgal species assessed for anticancer activities, it is imperative that prospecting on a more comprehensive marine species population be continually fostered.