Comprehensive exploration of marine functional foods in modulation of metabolic syndromes: a 20-year review

Metabolic syndromes (MetS), a cluster of conditions threatening global health, are a central focus of medical research. Bioactive compounds from marine sources, including peptides, polysaccharides, and lipids, have shown promising biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, anti-obesity, and insulin-sensitizing effects. These properties hold potential in combating dyslipidemia, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Present work seeks to review the advancements in research on marine functional foods for treating metabolic disorders over the last 20 years. It focuses on the diverse biological activities of marine-derived compounds, their proposed mechanisms in modulating MetS, and their potential industrial applications in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, functional foods, and cosmeceuticals. As the prevalence of MetS increases, current treatments face challenges like side effects, limited efficacy, and high costs. Considering this, marine functional foods offer a promising alternative due to their rich bioactive compounds, which can target multiple pathways involved in MetS. Moreover, marine proteins, peptides, omega-3 fatty acids, chitosan, fucoidans, and phlorotannins improve glucose and lipid metabolism, enhance insulin sensitivity, and reduce fat absorption, offering anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic benefits. Despite their potential, challenges like dosage form, purity, encapsulation methods, and stability hinder their broader use.