Potential of Seaweed in Indonesia as an Alternative Iodine Source

Indonesian seaweeds are marine bioresources with prospective features of iodine content. Although enormous seaweed species were found in the coastal region of Indonesia, thorough studies to profile those iodine contents were still limited. Accordingly, this review discusses the iodine content of various seaweed species located in Indonesia, i.e., Sargassum polycystum, Ulva lactuca, Sargassum vulgare, Eucheuma spinosum, Padina minor, Gracilaria verrucosa, and Eucheuma cottonii. In addition, the potential health benefits of utilizing seaweed-based iodine were also highlighted in this work. The findings indicate that iodine-rich seaweed consumption is encouraged to tackle diseases induced by various free radicals and inflammatory agents.