Algae have been used since ancient times as food, fodder, fertilizer and as source of medicine. Nowadays seaweeds represent an unlimited source of the raw materials used in pharmaceutical, food industries, medicine and cosmetics. They are nutritionally valuable as fresh or dried vegetables, or as ingredients in a wide variety of prepared foods. In particular, seaweeds contain significant quantities of protein, lipids, minerals and vitamins. There is limited information about the role of algae and algal metabolites in medicine. Only a few taxa have been studied for their use in medicine. Many...

This book is divided into three thematic areas. The first covers a revision of the taxonomy of algae, based on the algae portal, as well as the general aspects of biology and the methodologies used in this branch of marine biology. The second subject area focuses on the use of algae in environmental assessment, with an intensive implementation in Western economies and some emerging economies. The third topic is the potential use of algae in various industries including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agricultural fertilizers, and the emerging biofuels industries.