Integrative omics approaches for bioactive metabolite discovery in marine macroalgae: Recent advances and future...

Phlorotannins, bromophenols, sulfated polysaccharides, terpenoids, lipids and halogenated molecules exhibit potent antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Conventional discovery methods, such as solvent extraction and bioassay-guided fractionation, are limited by low throughput, specificity, and poor insight into biosynthetic mechanisms. High-throughput omics platforms including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have transformed the discovery of bioactive metabolites in macroalgae by unraveling system-wide interpretation of biosynthetic pathways. This review outlines omics-driven strategies for macroalgal natural product research, highlighting genome sequencing and annotation efforts. Transcriptome-based biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) mining, and gene regulation analysis via RNA-seq. Proteomic approaches such as 2D electrophoresis, LC-MS/MS, and MALDI-TOF are discussed for their role in elucidating enzyme functions and post-translational modifications. Metabolomics tools, including GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR, paired with platforms like GNPS and MetaboAnalyst, have improved metabolite identification, dereplication and pathway analysis. Emerging integrative multi-omics frameworks combining machine learning and systems biology are paving the way for predictive, precision-driven bioprospecting. Nonetheless, challenges persist, including incomplete genome assemblies, taxonomic inconsistencies and limited reference databases. This review emphasizes how omics technologies are deciphering and mechanistically elucidating the untapped metabolic potential of marine macroalgae, accelerating their application in biotechnology and therapeutic innovation.