Indonesian Sargassum species bioprospecting: potential applications of bioactive compounds and challenge for sustainable development

Abstract Due to the urge of human interest in isolating natural products from marine biodiversity for food or health commercial and industrial purposes, marine bioprospecting has increased rapidly in recent years and holds important promise for the future. Indonesian Sargassum species are one of the marine species of brown algae with substantial values. Their wide range of potentiality, especially their bioactive compounds, make them a natural resource for various applications in food, cosmetic and pharmacological sectors. Thus, the bioprospecting of Sargassum species is becoming an interesting topic to discuss, especially for Indonesia where only the red macroalgae Kappaphycus sp and Gracilaria sp are exported. This review illustrates the potential applications of Sargassum species concerning their bioactive chemodiversity. Further, possible challenges for sustainable development of Indonesia are also be described.