Novel functional food ingredients from marine sources

The consumption of aquatic food has globally increased in recent decades, as a result of better understanding of their health benefits and the good image of seafood among consumers. Due to the wide range of their living environments, marine organisms have developed unique properties and bioactive compounds compared to terrestrial sources. The importance of functional food ingredients has been well recognized in connection with health promotion, disease risk reduction and reduction in health care costs. These include omega-3 fatty acids from fish, marine mammals and algal/fungal sources, chitosan, chitosan oligosaccharides and glucosamine, carotenoids, enzymes and protein hydrolysates as well as algal phenolics and carbohydrates. This contribution summarizes novel functional ingredients from marine resources.