Marine algae that constitute hundreds of millions of tons of biomass are the oldest representatives of the plant kingdom. Recently, there has been growing interest in the utilization of algae as sustainable feedstocks for natural products with an economic value. Among these natural products are the meroditerpenoids, which are renowned for their protective effects against oxidative stress, inflammation, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Meroditerpenoids have a mixed biosynthetic origin and display a wide range of structural diversity. Their basic structure consists of a ring system bearing a diterpenoid side chain. Structural variations are observed in terms of the functional groups and saturation/cyclization of the diterpenoid side chain. This review classifies algal meroditerpenoids as plastoquinones, chromanols, chromenes, chromones, cyclic meroditerpenoids, nahocols, and isonahocols and examines their potential applications in functional foods and biopharmacology. Their lipid solubility, low molecular weight, and propensity to cross the blood-brain barrier places meroditerpenoids as potential drug candidates. There is growing interest in the study of algal meroterpenoids, and recent research has reported the structure of several new meroterpenoids and their biological activities. Further research is needed to extend the use of algal meroditerpenoids in preclinical trials. Understanding the mechanism of their biosynthesis will allow the development of de novo biosynthesis and biomimetic synthesis strategies for the industrial-scale production of meroditerpenoids and their synthetic derivatives to aid pharmaceutical research. This review is the first to summarize up-to-date information on all brown algae-derived meroditerpenoids.
Keywords: Meroditerpenoids; bioactivity; brown algae; chromanols; chromene; isonahocol; nahocols; plastoquinones.