Perspectives on the Potentials of Phlorotannins in Enhancing Phytoremediation Performance

Abstract

Phytoremediation is gaining momentum among bioremediation strategies for addressing high levels of metal(loid)s and organic pollutants in the environment, which threaten plants, wildlife, and human safety due to their cytotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects. An impediment to this bioremediation method is the limitation in the innate abilities of phytoremediation species to efficiently cope with pollutant-mediated stress, which often restricts growth, development, and efficient pollutant removal. Phlorotannins, a class of polyphenols derived from marine brown algae, possess a number of bioactivities that may be beneficial for boosting phytoremediation efficiency. This review provides a concise overview of phlorotannins, their chemical nature and structural classes, and the few (indicating a paucity of research data) bioactivities of phlorotannins that have been reported in plants. In addition, included are synopses on different phytoremediation strategies and highlights of major future research perspectives on harnessing phlorotannin bioactivities to ameliorate growth, development, and stress tolerance in phytoremediation species for the benefit of phytoremediation efforts.