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Review
. 2020 Sep 25;9(10):642.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics9100642.

Macroalgae as a Source of Valuable Antimicrobial Compounds: Extraction and Applications

Aurora Silva  1   2 , Sofia A Silva  3 , M Carpena  1 , P Garcia-Oliveira  1   4 , P Gullón  1 , M Fátima Barroso  2 , M A Prieto  1 , J Simal-Gandara  1
Affiliations
Review

Macroalgae as a Source of Valuable Antimicrobial Compounds: Extraction and Applications

Aurora Silva et al. Antibiotics (Basel). .

Abstract

In the last few decades, attention on new natural antimicrobial compounds has arisen due to a change in consumer preferences and the increase in the number of resistant microorganisms. Macroalgae play a special role in the pursuit of new active molecules as they have been traditionally consumed and are known for their chemical and nutritional composition and their biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. Among the bioactive molecules of algae, proteins and peptides, polysaccharides, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids and pigments can be highlighted. However, for the complete obtaining and incorporation of these molecules, it is essential to achieve easy, profitable and sustainable recovery of these compounds. For this purpose, novel liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extraction techniques have been studied, such as supercritical, ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic, high pressure, accelerated solvent and intensity pulsed electric fields extraction techniques. Moreover, different applications have been proposed for these compounds, such as preservatives in the food or cosmetic industries, as antibiotics in the pharmaceutical industry, as antibiofilm, antifouling, coating in active packaging, prebiotics or in nanoparticles. This review presents the main antimicrobial potential of macroalgae, their specific bioactive compounds and novel green extraction technologies to efficiently extract them, with emphasis on the antibacterial and antifungal data and their applications.

Keywords: antimicrobial applications; antimicrobial compounds; bioactive compounds; macroalgae; novel technologies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of the resistance acquisition pathways: Mutation and mobile genetic elements: By transduction, transformation or conjugation. Schema of the six main mechanisms of antibiotics resistance. Modified from [1,26,27].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic illustration of the main action mechanisms of antimicrobial compounds extracted from macroalgae species.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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