Marine Macroalgae Waste from Northern Portugal: A Potential Source of Natural Pigments?

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Sara Pardilhó (Author) FEUP; S. Machado (Author) FFUP; S. M. F. Bessada (Author) FFUP; M. F. Almeida (Author) FEUP; M. B. Oliveira (Author) FFUP; J. M. Dias (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Waste and Biomass Valorization

Pages: 239-249

ISSN: 1877-2641

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge

Scopus - 1 Citation

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-ZG2

DOI: 10.1007/s12649-020-01016-2

Abstract (EN): Abstract: Marine macroalgae waste, which results from the accumulation of drifted marine macroalgae at the beaches, was studied as an alternative source of natural pigments. For that, macroalgae waste was collected in a Northern Portugal beach, dehydrated using different procedures (freeze-drying, oven-drying and sun-drying), physiochemically characterized and after subjected to the chemical extraction of pigments. Six solvents and different amounts of biomass were studied, and the pigments quantification was made by UV spectrophotometry. Saccorhiza polyschides (brown algae) was the most represented species in the collected biomass. The differences found in the biomass characterization under different dehydrating conditions were not relevant. The obtained results showed marine macroalgae waste as a promising source of natural pigments and acetone was the best solvent for extraction, followed by methanol. Chlorophyll a was the predominant pigment found, regardless the dehydrating conditions employed. Freeze-dried biomass had significantly higher pigments concentrations (1685 ¿g chlorophyll a g¿1; 174 ¿g carotenoids g¿1; 252 ¿g fucoxanthin g¿1) and there were no differences comparing the concentration of chlorophyll a from oven-dried and sun-dried biomass; however, between them, concentration of carotenoids was higher for oven-dried biomass (125 ¿g g¿1), and fucoxanthin concentration was higher for sun-dried biomass (25 ¿g g¿1). Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2020, Springer Nature B.V.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific