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• Marine microorganisms have great potential for application as new food resources. • Marine microorganisms are an important source of natural bioactive compounds. • The application of marine active ingredients in food industry is infinitely possible. The marine environment is a reservoir of biodiversity and a wide variety of microorganisms. Marine microorganisms have unique physicochemical properties due to the extreme environment of the ocean. Those marine microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites are potential sources for use as sustainable food resources. Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of marine microbial metabolites for drug development, but little is known about their use as new food resources. The rapid development of food technology today has opened up many new avenues for the exploitation of natural products as food or food ingredients. This review aims to discuss the prospects and potential of marine microorganisms as new food resources, focusing on the key bioactive metabolites from marine microorganisms. Additionally, this review evaluates the applications of marine microorganisms in the food industry. Marine-derived compounds exhibit greater stability and bioactivity due to their unique adaptations, emphasizing their advantages over terrestrial microorganisms. These marine bioactive compounds, including protein, polysaccharides, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), bioactive peptides, enzymes, etc., and their potential applications in food additives, preservatives, leavening agents, and functional foods have been identified. This review not only helps to deepen the understanding of marine microorganisms and their bioactive compounds, but also contributes to the exploration of new food raw materials and the innovation of food processing technologies.
Che et al. (Sat,) studied this question.