Phenolic compounds from three brown seaweed species using LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS

Area of Science:

• Marine Botany
• Food Chemistry
• Natural Products Chemistry

Background:

• Seaweed extracts are rich in bioactive compounds.
• Phenolic compounds, particularly phlorotannins, are known for their antioxidant properties.
• Exploring local seaweed resources for functional ingredients is of growing interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the phenolic compound profiles of Ascophyllum nodosum (ANE), Bifurcaria bifurcata (BBE), and Fucus vesiculosus (FVE) extracts.
• To evaluate the potential of these extracts as functional ingredients.
• To identify specific phenolic compounds and their distribution across the studied species.

Main Methods:

• Liquid chromatography-diode array detection coupled to negative electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS) was employed for phenolic compound analysis.
• Tentative identification of phlorotannins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.
• Analysis of extracts from three distinct brown seaweed species.

Main Results:

• Phlorotannins were the predominant phenolic compounds in all three extracts.
• Phenolic acids (e.g., hydroxybenzoic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric, ferulic acid derivatives) and flavonoids (e.g., acacetin, hispidulin, gallocatechin, cypellocarpin C derivatives) were also identified.
• Specific compounds like fuhalols, hydroxyfuhalols, and eckol derivatives were found in varying combinations across the species.

Conclusions:

• The analyzed brown seaweed extracts are rich sources of diverse antioxidant phenolic compounds.
• These extracts hold significant potential for application as functional ingredients in the food and health industries.
• Regional seaweed species offer valuable natural resources for bioactive compound discovery.