ABSTRACT
Microalgae and cyanobacteria are a potential source of a diverse range of the following bioactive compounds with anticancer activity: bioactive peptides, polyketides, lipid compounds, alkaloids, pigments (C-phycocyanin, astaxanthin [ATX], fucoxanthin and β-carotene) and dinoflagellate toxins. Despite the vast potential, only a limited number of the algal compounds have been brought to clinical trials and developed into anticancer drugs. The advent of “omic” tools and combinatorial chemistry is expected to accelerate the discovery and development of new cancer drugs derived from microalgae and cyanobacteria.
