Background:
Seaweeds belong to a group of marine plants known as algae which consumed as sea vegetables in several Asian countries. Recent studies have focused on the biological and pharmacological activities of seaweeds and its highly bioactive secondary metabolites due to its possibility in the development of new pharmaceutical agents. Although several varieties of bioactive novel compounds such as phlorotannins, diterpenes, and polysaccharides from seaweeds have been already well scrutinized, fucosterol as phytosterols still need to reinvent itself.
Results:
Fucosterol (24-ethylidene cholesterol) is a sterol that can be isolated from algae, seaweed, and diatoms. Fucosterol exhibits various biological therapeutics, including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-fungal, anti-histaminic, anti-cholinergic, anti-adipogenic, anti-photodamaging, anti-osteoporotic, blood cholesterol reducing, blood vessel thrombosis preventive, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities.
Conclusion:
In this review, we address some potential approaches for arbitrating novel fucosterol biologics in the medical field, focusing on the selection of personalized drug candidates and highlighting the challenges and opportunities regarding medical breakthroughs. We also highlight the recent advances made in the design of this novel compound, as the significant health benefits from using these optimized applications apply to the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields.