Macroalgae have been reported as an important source of halogenated aromatic secondary metabolites, being the majority of these derivatives isolated from red algae. Halophenols and haloindoles are the most common haloaryl secondary metabolites isolated from these marine organisms. Nevertheless, some halogenated aromatic sesquiterpenes and naphthalene derivatives have also been isolated. Most of these secondary metabolites showed interesting biological activities, such as antitumor, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antioxidant. This review describes in a systematic way the distribution and natural occurrence of halogenated aromatic secondary metabolites from extracts of red, brown, and green algae, as well as biological activities reported for these compounds.
Keywords: biological activity; haloaryl compounds; macroalgae; secondary metabolites.