الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract This study investigates the potential of nine abundant marine macroalgae, representing three phyla (Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta), harvested from distinct sites from Egyptian coasts (Port Said Mediterranean Sea, Ismailia Suez Canal, Hurghada Red Sea), for their nutritional elements, bioactive compounds, and biomedical applications. The analysis of fundamental physical parameters as water temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen content revealed to distinctive variations among these coastal environments. Comprehensive quantification of nutritional constituents highlighted to characteristic profiles of crude fiber, ash, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, and sugars. Minerals were varied in the selected species with dissimilar concentration patterns. Bioactive compound analysis emphasized to rich these species by fatty acids content, condensed tannins, saponins and polyphenols, with significant variations observed among divisions. Antioxidant activities were assessed using DPPH free radicals, with varied scavenging capacities among species. Fatty acid extracts exhibited superior antimicrobial properties against various pathogenic microorganisms compared to crude extracts and often surpassing the efficacy of standard antibiotics. Notably, the green macroalga Caulerpa racemosa showed potent cytotoxic effects against human breast (MCF-7) and lung (Wi38) cancer cell lines indicating its promise for biomedical applications. GCMS analysis revealed to various bioactive compounds in the studied macroalgal samples, with specific chemical groups identified encompassing epoxides, esters, hydrocarbons, terpenes, ketones, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, alcohols, steroids, aldehydes, and phenols. This study highlighted the potential of the selected macroalgae as valuable sources of nutritional and bioactive compounds with promising biomedical applications. Further exploration of these diverse macroalgal resources could lead to the development of novel pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. |