Potential targets for anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities of marine algae: an overview

The inflammatory and allergic diseases are among the most common diseases all over the world. The prevalence, severity, and complexity of these diseases are rapidly rising and considerably adding to the burden of healthcare costs. Although the synthetic and combinatorial chemistry have given rise to notable successes in the development of novel anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drugs, but the extensive clinical use has led to the diverse and undesirable side effects. Meanwhile, the perceived value of natural products in the treatment of these diseases has yet to be fully explored. Thus, the extensive studies of alternative anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drugs from natural products are essential. Notably, marine algae have been utilized in food products as well as in pharmaceutical products due to their biological activities and health benefit effects. Recently, marine algae have attracted a special interest as great sources of antiinflammatory and anti-allergic agents. This review presents an overview of potential anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic agents derived from marine algae and their promising applications in inflammation and allergy therapy.