Marine algal pigments: potent neuroprotective agents for translational therapeutics

Marine algae, including macroalgae and microalgae, are a renewable and sustainable source of bioactive compounds with significant pharmacological potential. Among these, pigments derived from marine algae such as carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, and chlorophyll derivatives exhibit strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. These pigments play a crucial role in the prevention of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction which are important pathological mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Carotenoids like fucoxanthin and astaxanthin, and phycobiliproteins like phycoerythrin and phycocyanin, have shown effectiveness in scavenging free radicals, regulating inflammatory responses, and preventing neuronal degeneration. Chlorophyll derivatives also show neuroprotection through mitigation of oxidative stress and suppression of neurotoxic pathways. Being extremely biocompatible, sustainable, and multifunctional, marine algal pigments are promising novel therapeutic molecules against neurodegenerative diseases; however, challenges remain in terms of bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and long-term safety, underscoring the need for rigorous preclinical and clinical validation. This review explores the neuroprotective role of marine algal pigments and highlights their prospects for future clinical applications.