Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae
Brown macroalgae, harvested and processed at a scale of multimillion tons annually, contain fucoxanthin, a bioactive carotenoid with demonstrated anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. While seaweed is primarily cultivated for food products, significant quantities of non-edible parts, still c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002583 |
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| author | Marcell Gyurkač Taja Žitek Makoter Miha Grilc Blaž Likozar Željko Knez Maša Knez Marevci |
| author_facet | Marcell Gyurkač Taja Žitek Makoter Miha Grilc Blaž Likozar Željko Knez Maša Knez Marevci |
| author_sort | Marcell Gyurkač |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brown macroalgae, harvested and processed at a scale of multimillion tons annually, contain fucoxanthin, a bioactive carotenoid with demonstrated anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. While seaweed is primarily cultivated for food products, significant quantities of non-edible parts, still containing valuable compounds, are discarded during processing. This comprehensive review critically examines current approaches for upcycling macroalgal waste to food supplements and pharmaceuticals through the extraction of fucoxanthin, with particular emphasis on emerging green technologies and solvents, such as supercritical carbon dioxide and ionic liquids, applied individually or in combination. The article also evaluates these methods against conventional organic solvent extraction, considering extraction efficiency, solvent greenness and recyclability, process sustainability, and potential for industrial scale-up, while identifying current limitations and explore opportunities for process optimization. Despite demonstrating clear advantages over conventional organic solvents in extraction time, yield, recycling rate, and environmental safety, green solvents, especially ionic liquids, remain underutilized. This thorough analysis thus reveals critical gaps in current extraction strategies and provides evidence-based recommendations for future research directions in sustainable extraction technologies. Our findings suggest pathways for transforming macroalgal waste streams into high-value nutraceutical products, contributing to the development of circular bioeconomy approaches in marine biomass processing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5ad19c8bebf34e1d84d77477db2183b6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2666-1543 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-5ad19c8bebf34e1d84d77477db2183b62025-08-20T02:30:39ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-06-012110188710.1016/j.jafr.2025.101887Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgaeMarcell Gyurkač0Taja Žitek Makoter1Miha Grilc2Blaž Likozar3Željko Knez4Maša Knez Marevci5Laboratory of Separation Processes and Product Design, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia; Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, SloveniaLaboratory of Separation Processes and Product Design, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000, Maribor, SloveniaDepartment of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, SloveniaDepartment of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000, Ljubljana, SloveniaLaboratory of Separation Processes and Product Design, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska 8, SI-2000, Maribor, SloveniaLaboratory of Separation Processes and Product Design, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska 8, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia; Corresponding author. Laboratory of Separation Processes and Product Design, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000, Maribor, Slovenia.Brown macroalgae, harvested and processed at a scale of multimillion tons annually, contain fucoxanthin, a bioactive carotenoid with demonstrated anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. While seaweed is primarily cultivated for food products, significant quantities of non-edible parts, still containing valuable compounds, are discarded during processing. This comprehensive review critically examines current approaches for upcycling macroalgal waste to food supplements and pharmaceuticals through the extraction of fucoxanthin, with particular emphasis on emerging green technologies and solvents, such as supercritical carbon dioxide and ionic liquids, applied individually or in combination. The article also evaluates these methods against conventional organic solvent extraction, considering extraction efficiency, solvent greenness and recyclability, process sustainability, and potential for industrial scale-up, while identifying current limitations and explore opportunities for process optimization. Despite demonstrating clear advantages over conventional organic solvents in extraction time, yield, recycling rate, and environmental safety, green solvents, especially ionic liquids, remain underutilized. This thorough analysis thus reveals critical gaps in current extraction strategies and provides evidence-based recommendations for future research directions in sustainable extraction technologies. Our findings suggest pathways for transforming macroalgal waste streams into high-value nutraceutical products, contributing to the development of circular bioeconomy approaches in marine biomass processing.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002583Brown macroalgaeFucoxanthinGreen solventsSupercritical fluidsIonic liquids |
| spellingShingle | Marcell Gyurkač Taja Žitek Makoter Miha Grilc Blaž Likozar Željko Knez Maša Knez Marevci Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Brown macroalgae Fucoxanthin Green solvents Supercritical fluids Ionic liquids |
| title | Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae |
| title_full | Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae |
| title_fullStr | Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae |
| title_full_unstemmed | Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae |
| title_short | Green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae |
| title_sort | green extraction methods of fucoxanthin from brown macroalgae |
| topic | Brown macroalgae Fucoxanthin Green solvents Supercritical fluids Ionic liquids |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002583 |
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