RESUMO
As cyanobacteria with nitrogen-fixing ability, diazotrophic cyanobacteria can adapt to all kinds of habitat and produce many primary and secondary metabolic materials with unique chemical structures, diverse properties, and biological activities. As a nutritional supplement, diazotrophic cyanobacterium such as Nostoc has a long edible history in indigenous populations in China. In recent years, research results have shown that the bioactive substances produced by nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are promising candidates for the prevention and control of some human diseases, and the mechanisms of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria to achieve health and disease prevention are gradually revealed. This paper reviewed the progress in research and its mechanism of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in anti-oxidation, scavenging free radicals, antibiosis, antivirus, antitumor, antiinflammation, and anticoagulation in the past five years (2013-2017) at home and abroad. Moreover, the existing problems and the development directions in future were also discussed. We expect that it can provide reference for the further development of the related field in China.