An Appraisal of Seaweed Industry in India at Global Level: Impact on Livelihood and Environment and Future Prospects

The rapid growth of the global population has emphasized the necessity of searching the existing resource for novel bioactive compounds. Seaweeds are marine macroalgae reported to possess pronounced bioactive compounds ascertained with remarkable properties that attributes to their biological functionality. The market demand of seaweed has spurred in light due to their impeccable properties to act as gelling, emulsifying and stabilising agents which are widely exploited in the field of food, pharmaceutics, biomedicine and cosmetics. There exists a requisite to expand seaweed cultivation on a larger scale globally to explore their bioactive constituents which significantly contribute to raise global economy. Seaweed industry emerged as a fast-growing sector and provides livelihood to millions of people around the world. Moreover, the incorporation of seaweed in functional foods and nutraceuticals can pave the way for diminishing the concerns of malnutrition, especially in developing countries. Consequently, the development of the seaweed industry sheds new insights in the field of pharmaceutics and biomedicine. In this review, the utilisation of seaweeds, the growth of seaweed industry, production trends of seaweeds are cited. It also gives a comprehension about the consumer perception of seaweed-based products, the role played by women in the cultivation of seaweeds along with the future research aspects and challenges in the seaweed industry.