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Mollusk shells as marine bioactive materials: Composition, bioactivities, and prospects for food and health applications
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Researchers reviewed the bioactive properties of marine mollusk shells, which are generated in large quantities as seafood processing waste. They found that shell-derived compounds exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and bone-building properties, supporting potential uses as natural calcium sources and functional food ingredients. The study highlights an opportunity to turn an abundant waste material into valuable health and food science applications.
Marine mollusk processing generates large quantities of shells that serve as abundant but underutilized biofunctional materials. Composed mainly of calcium carbonate with a minor organic matrix of proteins, polysaccharides, and chitin, mollusk shells exhibit characteristic activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, osteogenic, hepatoprotective, gastrointestinal protective, and neuroprotective effects. These functions support their potential use as natural calcium sources, food preservation agents, functional ingredients, and biocompatible materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. Safety concerns-particularly heavy metals and microplastics-are critically assessed alongside current mitigation approaches. Overall, current evidence supports MMSs as promising marine biomaterials with broad food and health applications. Persistent challenges include limited mechanistic understanding, species-dependent variability, and the lack of standardized processing and toxicological frameworks. Addressing these gaps will enable the safe and sustainable utilization of mollusk shells as high-value marine biomaterials.
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This review examines the balance between marine ecological health and the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods from ocean species. The study discusses how pollution including microplastics threatens marine ecosystems while also covering the bioactive compounds from marine organisms that show potential antioxidant, cardio-protective, and neuroprotective properties.
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