An edible brown seaweed Sargassum horneri has frequently bloomed in recent years, causing significant economic losses and ecological damage to China’s attractive coastlines. Utilizing this underexploited biomass could help restore the aesthetic beauty of affected shores and promote the sustainable use of marine bioresources. S. horneri was reported to contain a rich source of essential nutrients and bioactive substances which contributes to its various health benefits (including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-cancer, anti-obesity and anti-diabetes). The mechanisms underlying the health benefits have been explored through cellular and animal models. In the process of bioactive substances from S. horneri exerting their effects, the Nrf2, NF-κB, and MAPK signaling pathways all play crucial roles. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the bioactive substances and health benefits reported from S. horneri . We also integrated and compared the overlapping mechanisms underlying the health benefits of S. horneri , and extensively explored the challenges and strategies for its high-value applications in food and other fields. This work provides a new perspective for the in-depth development of this resource. • The edible brown seaweed S. horneri contain abundant bioactive substances. • The edible brown seaweed S. horneri possesses various health benefits. • The health benefits and its underlying mechanisms of S. horneri had been discussed.
Yang et al. (2026) studied this question.