Utilization of seafood processing by-products: medicinal applications

Area of Science:

• Marine Biotechnology
• Biochemistry
• Sustainable Resource Utilization

Background:

• Seafood processing generates substantial underutilized by-products annually.
• These by-products contain numerous valuable bioactive compounds such as peptides, collagen, gelatin, and polysaccharides.
• Current research focuses on valorizing these materials for diverse industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the bioactive compounds present in seafood by-products.
• To explore the potential applications of these compounds in biomedical, food, and nutraceutical industries.
• To highlight the significance of seafood by-products as a sustainable resource.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific studies on seafood by-products.
• Identification and characterization of bioactive compounds.
• Analysis of reported biological activities and industrial applications.

Main Results:

• Bioactive peptides exhibit antihypertensive and antioxidant properties.
• Collagen and gelatin are utilized in food, cosmetic, and biomedical fields, including cancer drug delivery.
• Chitin, chitosan, and derivatives show polysaccharide activity with antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer potentials.

Conclusions:

• Seafood by-products are rich sources of functional bioactive compounds.
• These compounds hold significant potential for the biomedical and nutraceutical industries.
• Valorization of seafood by-products promotes sustainability and resource efficiency.