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Review
. 2020 Jul 24;18(8):384.
doi: 10.3390/md18080384.

Seaweed Phenolics: From Extraction to Applications

João Cotas  1 , Adriana Leandro  1 , Pedro Monteiro  2 , Diana Pacheco  1 , Artur Figueirinha  3   4 , Ana M M Gonçalves  1   5 , Gabriela Jorge da Silva  2 , Leonel Pereira  1
Affiliations
Review

Seaweed Phenolics: From Extraction to Applications

João Cotas et al. Mar Drugs. .

Abstract

Seaweeds have attracted high interest in recent years due to their chemical and bioactive properties to find new molecules with valuable applications for humankind. Phenolic compounds are the group of metabolites with the most structural variation and the highest content in seaweeds. The most researched seaweed polyphenol class is the phlorotannins, which are specifically synthesized by brown seaweeds, but there are other polyphenolic compounds, such as bromophenols, flavonoids, phenolic terpenoids, and mycosporine-like amino acids. The compounds already discovered and characterized demonstrate a full range of bioactivities and potential future applications in various industrial sectors. This review focuses on the extraction, purification, and future applications of seaweed phenolic compounds based on the bioactive properties described in the literature. It also intends to provide a comprehensive insight into the phenolic compounds in seaweed.

Keywords: bromophenols; flavonoids; phenolic terpenoids; phlorotannins; polyphenolics bioactivities; polyphenolics extractions; seaweed polyphenolics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of phlorotannins: (A) Phloroglucinol; (B) Tetrafucol A; (C) Tetraphlorethol B; (D) Fucodiphlorethol A; (E) Tetrafuhalol A; and (F) Phlorofucofuroeckol.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chemical structures of bromophenols: (A) 2,4-bromophenol; (B) 2,6-bromophenol; (C) 2,4,6-tribromophenol.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main classes of flavonoids found in algae: (A) Flavones; (B) Flavonols; (C) Flavanones; (D) Flavan-3-ol.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Main classes of phenolic terpenoids found in algae: (A) Chromene; (B) Chromanol; (C) Plastoquinone.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAA); (A) Aminocyclohexenone; (B) Aminocyclohexeniminone.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Other phenolic compounds in algae: (A) Colpol; (B) Tichocarpol.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Schematic representation of possible methodologies for seaweed phenolic compounds quest.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Biological activities from the different seaweed phenolic compounds reported in the literature.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Seaweed phenolic compounds’ mechanisms of action.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Examples of green seaweeds (Chlorophyta): (A)—Dasycladus vermicularis; (B)—Ulva clathrata; (C)—Ulva compressa; (D)—Ulva intestinalis; (E)—Ulva lactuca; (F)—Ulva linza [148].
Figure 11
Figure 11
Examples of red seaweeds (Rhodophyta): (A)—Asparagopsis armata; (B)—Chondrus cispus; (C)–Mastocarpus stellatus; (D)—Palmaria palmata; (E)—Solieria chordalis; (F)—Pterocladiella capillacea; (G)—Porphyra umbilicalis; (H)—Hypnea musciformis [148].
Figure 12
Figure 12
Examples of brown seaweed (Phaeophyceae): (A)—Ascophyllum nodosum; (B)—Bifurcaria bifurcata; (C)—Colpomenia sinuosa; (D)—Treptacantha baccata; (E)—Fucus vesiculosus; (F)—Leathesia marina; (G)—Padina pavonica; (H)—Sargassum muticum; (I)—Sargassum vulgare; (J)—Undaria pinnatifida [148].
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