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- Red seaweeds as a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds: Optimization of the extractionPublication . Carpena Rodríguez, María; Caleja, Cristina; Pereira, Eliana; Pereira, Carla; Ćirić, Ana; Soković, Marina; Soria-Lopez, Anton; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.The present work aimed to determine the nutritional composition (ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate content and energy value), phenolic compounds, pigments and organic acids content of three typical red algae from the Northwest of Spain: Chondrus crispus, Mastocarpus stellatus, and Gigartina pistillata; as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, the present work compared two extraction techniques: conventional heat assisted extraction (HAE) and high pressure assisted extraction (HPAE) to maximize the yield and the concentration of target compounds. Different independent variables were considered for the response study. Time (t) and percentage of ethanol of the solvent (S) were chosen for both techniques and temperature (T) and pressure (P) were used for HAE and HPAE, respectively. The experiments were designed following a response surface methodology (RSM) approach. The obtained results showed a similar nutritional composition between algae samples: low-fat content and high content of proteins, carbohydrates and energy. All tested algae showed good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Finally, HEA demonstrated to be the most efficient extraction technique. This study confirms the potential of red algae to be part of the human diet as a source of non-animal protein, due to its nutritional content, phenolic profile, pigments concentration and bioactive properties, which proves that HAE is the optimum technique for the extraction maximization.
- Seaweed polysaccharides: emerging extraction technologies, chemical modifications and bioactive propertiesPublication . Otero, Paz; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Garcia-Oliveira, Paula; Echave Álvarez, Javier; Soria-Lopez, Anton; García-Pérez, Pascual; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Cao, Hui; Nie, Shaoping; Xiao, Jianbo; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Nowadays, consumers are increasingly aware of the relationship between diet and health, showing a greater preference of products from natural origin. In the last decade, seaweeds have outlined as one of the natural sources with more potential to obtain bioactive carbohydrates. Numerous seaweed polysaccharides have aroused the interest of the scientific community, due to their biological activities and their high potential on biomedical, functional food and technological applications. To obtain polysaccharides from seaweeds, it is necessary to find methodologies that improve both yield and quality and that they are profitable. Nowadays, environmentally friendly extraction technologies are a viable alternative to conventional methods for obtaining these products, providing several advantages like reduced number of solvents, energy and time. On the other hand, chemical modification of their structure is a useful approach to improve their solubility and biological properties, and thus enhance the extent of their potential applications since some uses of polysaccharides are still limited. The present review aimed to compile current information about the most relevant seaweed polysaccharides, available extraction and modification methods, as well as a summary of their biological activities, to evaluate knowledge gaps and future trends for the industrial applications of these compounds. Key teaching points: Structure and biological functions of main seaweed polysaccharides. Emerging extraction methods for sulfate polysaccharides. Chemical modification of seaweeds polysaccharides. Potential industrial applications of seaweed polysaccharides. Biological activities, knowledge gaps and future trends of seaweed polysaccharides.
- Biological action mechanisms of fucoxanthin extracted from algae for application in food and cosmetic industriesPublication . Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Jiménez López, Cecília; Carpena Rodríguez, María; González Pereira, Antía; García-Oliveira, Paula; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, JesusBackground: Fucoxanthin is a pigment present in diverse marine organisms such as micro and macro-algae. The most relevant source of fucoxanthin has been described to be the group of the brown macroalgae, also known as Phaeophyceae. The presence of the fucoxanthin, a xanthophyll, found as an accessory pigment in the chloroplasts of the brown algae is responsible for providing them their characteristic color. The market size of this carotenoid, expected to reach US$ 120 million by 2022, reflects its industrial importance, especially remarkable as a food or cosmetic ingredient. Scope and approach: Therefore, it is critical to recognize the main sources of fucoxanthin as well as the most efficient extraction and purification methods that allow obtaining the best production ratio for such a valuable molecule. Throughout this review very different preventive properties of the fucoxanthin have been included, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, antiobesity, neuroprotective and its skin protective effects. The stability, bioavailability and toxicity of the fucoxanthin have also been reviewed through diverse biological, in vitro and in vivo assays. Key findings and conclusions: Thus, the main aim of this work is to provide a wide and global vision of the fucoxanthin in terms of productive species, efficient recovery techniques and multiple industrial applications.
- Nutraceuticals and oxidative stressPublication . Donn, Pauline; Seyyedi-Mansour, Sepidar; Perez-Vazquez, Ana; Barciela, Paula; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Chamorro, Franklin; Cassani, Lucia; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Several studies have found a link between oxidative stress and a variety of noncommunicable diseases including diabetes, obesity, aging, Down syndrome, cancers, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. All these pathologies are aided by oxidative stress, which is caused by the excessive production of free radicals or insufficient elimination of free radicals. To avoid, reduce, or eliminate this imbalance favoring prooxidants in organs and cells, one of the healthier and promising approaches is to use antioxidant compounds like nutraceuticals, which can scavenge the excessive free radicals and restore the balance. Nutraceuticals are dietary compounds that include dietary fibers, prebiotics, probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and spices. Some of them have antioxidant activity, which can react with the free electron available in the outer layer of free radicals to make the unstable compounds more stable while avoiding free radicals’ proliferation and the induced damage to the different metabolisms that occur in the human body because of oxidative stress. Thus, each nutraceutical class performs specific functions in managing the onset of oxidative stress. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to sort out the mechanisms by which different classes of nutraceuticals can have beneficial effects on oxidative stress and related pathologies via their biological properties. However, it also observes that the efficacy of nutraceutical compounds can only be guaranteed if they can maintain their properties during production, preservation, consumption, digestion, and use by the various targeted active sites. Thus, it shows that the concepts of bioavailability and bio-accessibility are key factors for the effectiveness of nutraceuticals on oxidative stress when consumed by humans.
- By-products of agri-food industry as tannin-rich sources: a review of tannins’ biological activities and their potential for valorizationPublication . Fraga-Corral, Maria; Otero, Paz; Echave Álvarez, Javier; García-Oliveira, Paula; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Jarboui, Amira; Núñez Estévez, Bernabé; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.During recent decades, consumers have been continuously moving towards the substitution of synthetic ingredients of the food industry by natural products, obtained from vegetal, animal or microbial sources. Additionally, a circular economy has been proposed as the most efficient production system since it allows for reducing and reutilizing different wastes. Current agriculture is responsible for producing high quantities of organic agricultural waste (e.g., discarded fruits and vegetables, peels, leaves, seeds or forestall residues), that usually ends up underutilized and accumulated, causing environmental problems. Interestingly, these agri-food by-products are potential sources of valuable bioactive molecules such as tannins. Tannins are phenolic compounds, secondary metabolites of plants widespread in terrestrial and aquatic natural environments. As they can be found in plenty of plants and herbs, they have been traditionally used for medicinal and other purposes, such as the leather industry. This fact is explained by the fact that they exert plenty of different biological activities and, thus, they entail a great potential to be used in the food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. Consequently, this review article is directed towards the description of the biological activities exerted by tannins as they could be further extracted from by-products of the agri-food industry to produce high-added-value products.
- Traditional applications of tannin rich extracts supported by scientific data: chemical composition, bioavailability and bioaccessibilityPublication . Fraga-Corral, Maria; Otero, Paz; Cassani, Lucia; Echave Álvarez, Javier; Garcia-Oliveira, Paula; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Chamorro Rivo, Franklin Noel; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, JesusTannins are polyphenolic compounds historically utilized in textile and adhesive industries, but also in traditional human and animal medicines or foodstuffs. Since 20th-century, advances in analytical chemistry have allowed disclosure of the chemical nature of these molecules. The chemical profile of extracts obtained from previously selected species was investigated to try to establish a bridge between traditional background and scientific data. The study of the chemical composition of these extracts has permitted us to correlate the presence of tannins and other related molecules with the effectiveness of their apparent uses. The revision of traditional knowledge paired with scientific evidence may provide a supporting background on their use and the basis for developing innovative pharmacology and food applications based on formulations using natural sources of tannins. This traditional-scientific approach can result useful due to the raising consumers’ demand for natural products in markets, to which tannin-rich extracts may pose an attractive alternative. Therefore, it is of interest to back traditional applications with accurate data while meeting consumer’s acceptance. In this review, several species known to contain high amounts of tannins have been selected as a starting point to establish a correlation between their alleged traditional use, tannins content and composition and potential bioaccessibility.
- Challenges for future food systems: from the Green Revolution to food supply chains with a special focus on sustainabilityPublication . Soria‐Lopez, Anton; Garcia‐Perez, Pascual; Carpena, Maria; Garciá‐Oliveira, Paula; Otero, Paz; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Cao, Hui; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal‐Gandara, JesusFinding a food system to feed the growing worldwide population remains a challenge, especially in the current era, where natural resources are being dramatically depleted. From a historical point of view, the Green Revolution, together with biofortification and sustainable intensification, was established as a possible solution to counter hunger and malnutrition during the second half of the 20th century. As a solution, to overcome the limitations attributed to the Green Revolution, food supply chains were developed. The current food system, based on the long food supply chain (LFSC), is characterized by globalization, promoting several advantages for both producers and consumers. However, LFSC has been demonstrated to be unable to feed the global population and, furthermore, it generates negative ecological, environmental, logistical, and nutritional pressures. Thus, novel efficient food systems are required to respond to current environmental and consumers’ demands, as is the case of short food supply chain (SFSC). As a recently emerging food system, the evaluation of SFSC sustainability in terms of environmental, economic, and social assessment is yet to be determined. This review is focused on the evolution of food supply systems, starting from the Green Revolution to food supply chains, providing a significant perspective on sustainability.
- Evolution of flavors in extra virgin olive oil shelf-lifePublication . García-Oliveira, Paula; Jiménez López, Cecília; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Chamorro Rivo, Franklin Noel; González Pereira, Antía; Carreira Casais, Anxo; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most distinctive ingredients of the Mediterranean diet. There are many properties related to this golden ingredient, from supreme organoleptic characteristics to benefits for human health. EVOO contains in its composition molecules capable of exerting bioactivities such as cardio protection, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer activity, among others, mainly caused by unsaturated fatty acids and certain minor compounds such as tocopherols or phenolic compounds. EVOO is considered the highest quality vegetable oil, which also implies a high sensory quality. The organoleptic properties related to the flavor of this valued product are also due to the presence of a series of compounds in its composition, mainly some carbonyl compounds found in the volatile fraction, although some minor compounds such as phenolic compounds also contribute. However, these properties are greatly affected by the incidence of certain factors, both intrinsic, such as the olive variety, and extrinsic, such as the growing conditions, so that each EVOO has a particular flavor. Furthermore, these flavors are susceptible to change under the influence of other factors throughout the oil's shelf-life, such as oxidation or temperature. This work offers a description of some of the most remarkable compounds responsible for EVOO’s unique flavor and aroma, the factors affecting them, the mechanism that lead to the degradation of EVOO, and how flavors can be altered during the shelf-life of the oil, as well as several strategies suggested for the preservation of this flavor, on which the quality of the product also depends.
- Pigment composition of nine brown algae from the iberian northwestern coastline: influence of the extraction solventePublication . García-Pérez, Pascual; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Silva, Aurora; González Pereira, Antía; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Zhao, Chao; Xiao, Jianbo; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Brown algae are ubiquitously distributed in the NW coastline of the Iberian Peninsula, where they stand as an underexploited resource. In this study, five solvents were applied to the extraction of pigments from nine brown algae, followed by their determination and quantification by HPLC-DAD. A total of 13 compounds were detected: Six were identified as chlorophylls, six were classified as xanthophylls, and one compound was reported as a carotene. Fucoxanthin was reported in all extracts, which is the most prominent pigment of these algae. Among them, L. saccharina and U. pinnatifida present the highest concentration of fucoxanthin (4.5–4.7 mg g-1 dry weight). Ethanol and acetone were revealed as the most efficient solvents for the extraction of pigments, showing a maximal value of 11.9 mg of total pigments per gram of dry alga obtained from the ethanolic extracts of H. elongata, followed by the acetonic extracts of L. ochroleuca. Indeed, ethanol was also revealed as the most efficient solvent according to its high extraction yield along all species evaluated. Our results supply insights into the pigment composition of brown algae, opening new perspectives on their commercial exploitation by food, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries.
- The use of invasive algae species as a source of secondary metabolites and biological activities: Spain as case-studyPublication . González Pereira, Antía; Fraga-Corral, Maria; García-Oliveira, Paula; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, JesusIn the recent decades, algae have proven to be a source of different bioactive compounds with biological activities, which has increased the potential application of these organisms in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, animal feed, and other industrial sectors. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in developing effective strategies for control and/or eradication of invasive algae since they have a negative impact on marine ecosystems and in the economy of the affected zones. However, the application of control measures is usually time and resource-consuming and not profitable. Considering this context, the valorization of invasive algae species as a source of bioactive compounds for industrial applications could be a suitable strategy to reduce their population, obtaining both environmental and economic benefits. To carry out this practice, it is necessary to evaluate the chemical and the nutritional composition of the algae as well as the most efficient methods of extracting the compounds of interest. In the case of northwest Spain, five algae species are considered invasive: Asparagopsis armata, Codium fragile, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, Sargassum muticum, and Grateulopia turuturu. This review presents a brief description of their main bioactive compounds, biological activities, and extraction systems employed for their recovery. In addition, evidence of their beneficial properties and the possibility of use them as supplement in diets of aquaculture animals was collected to illustrate one of their possible applications.