Benefits of Seaweeds in Cardiac Diseases

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Cardiovascular diseases encompass a wide range of disorders that can be categorized into several groups depending on different criteria. The prevalence of cardiac disease is rapidly accelerating in the world. Cardiovascular disorders are responsible for roughly 17.9 million annual fatalities, or nearly 32% of the total mortality globally. The etiology of cardiovascular disease is complex, consisting of both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, including metabolic abnormalities, aberrant protein function, genetic mutations, and other contributing elements. Atherosclerosis continues to be the most significant risk factor since it primarily defines the pathogenic processes of cardiovascular diseases. Both pharmacotherapy and surgical interventions are currently in use to alleviate disease symptoms and reduce fatalities. Nevertheless, they have limitations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel treatment for cardiovascular disease. Seaweeds are comprised of bioactive compounds with different biological and chemical properties. These can be classified into two groups: primary metabolites and secondary metabolites. Constituents such as phlorotannins, polysaccharides (ulvan, fucoidan, carrageenan), peptides, sterols, and carotenoids (fucoxanthin and astaxanthin) have depicted beneficial effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this chapter mainly focuses on the bioactive constituents derived from seaweeds and their composition that may benefit in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases.