Derivation BioActive Compounds From Seafood Processing By-Products

Marine organisms represent a valuable source of nutraceuticals and functional compounds. On the other hand, large amount of underutilized by-products are generated from the seafood processing plants annually. Consequently, researchers have identified a number of bioactive compounds including bioactive peptides, collagen and gelatin, oligosaccharides, fatty acids, enzymes, calcium, water-soluble minerals, and biopolymers. Bioactive peptides derived from fish waste can be used as antihypertensive, antioxidative, anticoagulant, and antimicrobial components in functional foods or nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals due to their therapeutic potential in the treatment or prevention of disease. In this regard, collagen and gelatin are currently used in diverse fields including food, cosmetic, and biomedical industries. Also, chitin, chitosan, and their derivatives possess biologically active polysaccharides and hence they are potential agents for many applications. Hence, seafood by-products are valuable natural resources that show range of functionalities and hence potential materials for biomedical and nutraceutical industries.