Potential products from tropical algae and seaweeds, especially with reference to Malaysia

Global production and utilization of algae is a multi-billion dollar industry. There is a diversity of tropical algae and seaweeds which have yet to be fully explored for commercial products. Potential products include nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, feed, biopharmaceuticals, phycocolloids, horticultural aids and biofuels. Native, indigenious species should be used for industrial applications as introduced species may become invasives and cause environmental and biodiversity problems. Issues to be addressed in the development of an algae/seaweed industry include: species selection, mass-production system (photobioreactor versus open systems), productivity & product yields, harvesting, and downstream processing. To make the commercialization cost-effective, the approach of \u27multi-strategies coupled with multi-products\u27 is essential