Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases encompass a wide range of disorders that can be
categorized into several groups depending on different criteria. The prevalence of
cardiac disease is rapidly accelerating in the world. Cardiovascular disorders are
responsible for roughly 17.9 million annual fatalities, or nearly 32% of the total
mortality globally. The etiology of cardiovascular disease is complex, consisting of
both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, including metabolic abnormalities,
aberrant protein function, genetic mutations, and other contributing elements.
Atherosclerosis continues to be the most significant risk factor since it primarily
defines the pathogenic processes of cardiovascular diseases. Both pharmacotherapy and
surgical interventions are currently in use to alleviate disease symptoms and reduce
fatalities. Nevertheless, they have limitations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to
develop a novel treatment for cardiovascular disease. Seaweeds are comprised of
bioactive compounds with different biological and chemical properties. These can be
classified into two groups: primary metabolites and secondary metabolites.
Constituents such as phlorotannins, polysaccharides (ulvan, fucoidan, carrageenan),
peptides, sterols, and carotenoids (fucoxanthin and astaxanthin) have depicted
beneficial effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this chapter mainly
focuses on the bioactive constituents derived from seaweeds and their composition that
may benefit in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases.