Alginate is a hydrocolloid from algae, specifically brown algae, which is a group that includes many of the seaweeds, like kelps and an extracellular polymer of some bacteria. Sodium alginate is one of the best-known members of the hydrogel group. The hydrogel is a water-swollen and cross-linked polymeric network produced by the simple reaction of one or more monomers. It has a linear (unbranched) structure based on d-mannuronic and l-guluronic acids. The placement of these monomers depending on the source of its production is alternating, sequential and random. The same arrangement of monomers can affect the physical and chemical properties of this polysaccharide. This polyuronide has a wide range of applications in various industries including the food industry, medicine, tissue engineering, wastewater treatment, the pharmaceutical industry and fuel. It is generally recognized as safe when used in accordance with good manufacturing or feeding practice. This review discusses its application in addition to its structural, physical, and chemical properties.

Bioactive compounds with diverse chemical structures play a significant role in disease prevention and maintenance of physiological functions. Due to the increase in industrial demand for new biosourced molecules, several types of biomasses are being exploited for the identification of bioactive metabolites and techno-functional biomolecules that are suitable for the subsequent uses in cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical fields. Among the various biomasses available, macroalgae are gaining popularity because of their potential nutraceutical and health benefits. Such health effects are delivered by specific diterpenes, pigments (fucoxanthin, phycocyanin, and carotenoids), bioactive peptides and polysaccharides. Abundant and recent studies have identified valuable biological activities of native algae polysaccharides, but also of their derivatives, including oligosaccharides and (bio)chemically modified polysaccharides. However, only a few of them can be industrially developed and open up new markets of active molecules, extracts or ingredients. In this respect, the health and nutraceutical claims associated with marine algal bioactive polysaccharides are summarized and comprehensively discussed in this review.

Currently, pectins are widely used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries, mainly as texturizing, emulsifying, stabilizing, and gelling agents. Pectins are polysaccharides composed of a large linear segment of α-(1,4) linked d-galactopyranosyluronic acids interrupted by β-(1,2)-linked l-rhamnoses and ramified by short chains composed of neutral hexoses and pentoses. The characteristics and applications of pectins are strongly influenced by their structures depending on plant species and tissues but also extraction methods. The aim of this review is therefore to highlight the structures of pectins and the various methods used to extract them, including conventional ones but also microwave heating, ultrasonic treatment, and dielectric barrier discharge techniques, assessing physico-chemical parameters which have significant effects on pectin characteristics and applications as techno-functional and bioactive agents.

Nowadays, microalgae and cyanobacteria have become a promising and sustainable source of useful products, thanks to their richness in bioactive metabolites of high value (antibiotics, toxins, pharmaceutically active compounds, plant growth regulators, and others). These photoautotroph microorganisms generate biomass using photosynthesis. This review, which distinguishes microalgae and Cyanobacteria, often called blue-green microalgae, aims to present their classification and taxonomic diversity as the ecological niches occupied by them. In addition, the usages of open ponds and photobioreactors to produce various microalgae and Cyanobacteria strains and the high-value bioactive compounds from these microorganisms are summarized. Finally, the numerous commercial applications of these phytoplanktons in different fields, such as food, dietary supplements, feed, cosmetic, and biofuel applications, are reviewed.