Water Extraction Kinetics of Bioactive Compounds of Fucus vesiculosus.

Ricardo M. Ferreira,Rui Costa,Artur M. S. Silva,Ana Ramalho Ribeiro,Susana M. Cardoso,Carla Patinha

doi:10.3390/molecules24183408

Abstract

Brown macroalgae, particularly those from Fucus genus, are a rich and balanced source of bioactive nutrients and phytochemicals, such as dietary fibres (fucoidans, laminarins, and/or alginates), phlorotannins, and fucoxanthin, and some minerals, such as iodine, which have been demonstrated to possess numerous health-promoting properties. In fact, aqueous extracts of Fucus vesiculosus have been used as food supplements due to its rich content in bioactive compounds, though no study has been published on the optimization of this operation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different extraction temperatures (25 °C, 50 °C, 75 °C, 100 °C, and 120 °C) and times (5 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h) on the recovery of those bioactive compounds. The temperature was observed to positively influence the extraction of crude mass and of fucose polysaccharides only at 75 °C and above, and of iodine extraction at 50 °C and above. At these temperatures, time also showed to increase yields. Yields of crude extract, fucose, and iodine were successfully mathematically modelled with a power law, and its maximum yields were obtained at the highest temperature studied (120 °C) and longest extraction time (4 h). Iodine yield at these conditions provided extracts with relevant content to contribute to the recommended daily ingestion. Phlorotannins were significantly recovered at 120 °C though evidence of degradation was observed during time.

Highlights

The well-known prediction of global population of 9 billion people by 2050 requires an increased food production by more than 60% [1]
Discussion extraction of bioactive compounds from F. vesiculosus was only studied to a limited extent, in a short range ofYield temperatures and operation
The seaweeds from F. vesiculosus were cultivated in a land-based integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) system at ALGAplus Lda, a company based in Aveiro district, Portugal, specialized in seaweed cultivation and their commercialization into the food, cosmetics, and feed markets

Summary

Introduction

The well-known prediction of global population of 9 billion people by 2050 requires an increased food production by more than 60% [1]. This puts pressure on natural resources sustainability and climate changes, leading to instabilities in primary production, food processing, and distribution. In a world of constant growth and change, a great deal of attention from the scientific community is being directed at marine environments, given that they comprise approximately half of total global biodiversity [2]. Foods with marine derived ingredients can provide required amounts of nutrients and phytochemicals that are essential for the maintenance of healthy living [3]. Seaweeds are considered a rich source of fibres and other carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and phenolic compounds [4], and several scientific studies point to the fact that the intake of seaweeds may contribute to the prevention of various disorders and/or diseases, in particular, metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension [4,5,6,7].

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