Enzyme-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from seaweeds and microalgae

Abstract

Identifying and characterizing novel bioactive compounds from natural sources are crucial in many industries, including nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, functional foods, and food additives. However, these natural bioactive compounds can often be found in nature (either of plant or animal origin) at very low levels. Therefore, recovering compounds synthesized by natural organisms in large quantities for industrial applications requires massive harvesting or large-scale culturing of these organisms, which further increases the production cost of the final product. However, the high demand and profitability of these industries have led to the development of advanced technologies for the efficient extraction of bioactive compounds. Advanced techniques such as pressurized-liquid extraction, subcritical and supercritical extraction, and microwave- and ultrasound-assisted extraction now play a unique role in industries engaged in bioactive compound-related businesses. With research and development, the efficiency of these extraction techniques has been further enhanced by combination with enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) techniques. The combination of EAE with traditional and novel extraction techniques facilitates the release of compounds from the matrix. These combined approaches provide an innovative approach to increase the production efficiency of specific compounds for use as ingredients in different industries.Recently, the recovery of bioactive compounds from marine organisms such as Seaweeds and microalgae has become a hot topic, and many industries are seeking to develop functional products from marine organisms. However, the extraction efficiency and bioavailability of the bioactive compounds identified in seaweeds and microalgae are limited, as is the case for land plants. Therefore, the recovery of bioactive compounds from seaweeds and microalgae in large quantities for industrial applications requires modern approaches, such as EAE, in combination with conventional extraction techniques. The insights offered in this review hold potential benefits for researchers and industries engaged in marine bioactive compound-related enterprises to develop functional products. In this comprehensive review, we reviewed research articles mainly focused on the bioactive properties of seaweeds and microalgae extracted using EAE techniques. Furthermore, only studies published after 2018 were included in this review. This initiative presents a promising pathway for future progressions in the domain of functional product development from seaweeds and microalgae.