Algal Phycocolloids: Bioactivities and Pharmaceutical Applications

Seaweeds are abundant sources of diverse bioactive compounds with various properties and mechanisms action. These offer protective effects, high nutritional value, numerous health benefits. versatile natural metabolites applicable in the production healthy food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fertilizers. Their biological make them promising for biotechnological applications. In nature, hydrocolloids substances which form a gel presence water. They employed as gelling agents coatings dressings stabilizers biotechnology, ingredients cosmetics. Seaweed identified carrageenan, alginate, agar. Carrageenan has gained significant attention pharmaceutical formulations exhibits properties. Incorporating carrageenan polymers such chitosan, starch, cellulose, chitin, alginate. It holds promise creating biodegradable materials biomedical Alginate, polysaccharide, is highly valued wound due to its unique characteristics, including low toxicity, biodegradability, hydrogel formation, prevention bacterial infections, maintenance moist environment. Agar widely used field. This review focuses on analysing therapeutic applications agar based research highlighting their potential developing innovative drug delivery systems using seaweed phycocolloids.