Lectins from marine macroalgae and their pharmacological potential

Algae are the most diverse organisms in the world, autotrophic beings that range from unicellular organisms to macroscopic organisms. Algae have been exploited and used by industry, mainly for cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical, biotechnological and textile applications. These organisms are considered a source of biopolymers and bioactives, such as polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, lipids, pigments and proteins. Lectins represent a class of proteins that have the ability to recognize carbohydrates, without showing catalytic activity. Macroalgae lectins have a low molecular weight, making them less antigenic, and are reported to be promising molecules with biological activities and pharmacological potential. Despite this, marine macroalgae are still little explored for this purpose. In view of the above, this book presents a review of lectins isolated from the three main phyla of marine macroalgae with pharmacological potential.