SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Biotechnology and Bioproducts
The Analgesic Promise of Seaweeds: A Systematic Review of Preclinical and Clinical Evidence
Provisionally accepted
Mariola Belda-Antolí
Nadia Fernandez Ehrling
Eloy Jaenada-Carrilero
Luis Baraja-Vegas
Javier Ferrer-Torregrosa
Francisco Javier Falaguera Vera*
Juan Vicente-Mampel- Universidad Catolica de Valencia San Vicente Martir Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Valencia, Spain
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Background: Seaweeds are typically considered a part of traditional diets in several Asian countries and have recently acquired significant attention owing to the therapeutic potential of their bioactive compounds. sulfated polysaccharides, polyphenols, and proteins are the most common seaweed-derived substances with pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the analgesic effects of these compounds have not yet been well established. Methods: An extensive systematic search of four databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, was conducted until May 2025. Preclinical and clinical studies evaluating the analgesic effects of seaweed-derived compounds were included in this review. Results: Preclinical studies have shown significant antinociceptive effects of various seaweed-derived substances. Sulfated polysaccharides demonstrated a dose-dependent peripheral analgesic effect, whereas central analgesic effects appeared at the highest doses. Phlorotannin-rich polyphenols also showed substantial peripheral analgesic effects, reaching 90.16% inhibition in the writhing test, and prominent central analgesic responses lasting 120 min. Furthermore, lecithin extracts exhibited significant peripheral antinociceptive effects with favorable safety profiles. Evidence from human studies is limited to four small trials (total n = 91). In one study (n = 30) on mild knee osteoarthritis, a multi-mineral seaweed formulation (Aquamin⁺) produced greater pain reduction than glucosamine. Risk of bias assessment showed an overall low-to-moderate quality across the included studies. Conclusion: Seaweed extracts exhibit promising peripheral and central antinociceptive effects. However clinical data remain preliminary and heterogenous. Further research is warranted to standardize the extracts, explore chronic pain applications, and validate the findings in large-scale human trials.
Keywords: seaweeds, analgesic, sulfated polysaccharides, Polyphenols, Phlorotannins, andChronic Pain
Received: 07 Oct 2025; Accepted: 10 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Belda-Antolí, Fernandez Ehrling, Jaenada-Carrilero, Baraja-Vegas, Ferrer-Torregrosa, Falaguera Vera and Vicente-Mampel. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Francisco Javier Falaguera Vera, fj.falaguera@ucv.es
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.