Phlorotannins from Undaria pinnatifida Sporophyll: Extraction, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Undaria pinnatifida sporophyll (U. pinnatifida) is a major byproduct of U. pinnatifida (a brown algae) processing. Its phenolic constituents, phlorotannins, are of special interest due to their intrinsic ability to precipitate proteins. Herein, a high-temperature extraction procedure was used to isolate these biologically active compounds. The heating temperature, heating time, and extraction solvent (ethanol) concentration were examined with response surface analysis to determine the optimal conditions to achieve the maximum extraction rate. The analysis revealed the optimal conditions to be: 170 °C of heating temperature, 5.2 h of heating time, and 52% ethanol concentration for a yield of 10.7 ± 0.2 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (GAE/g DW) of sample. Compared to epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the extracted phlorotannins displayed higher antioxidant activity on H₂O₂-induced RAW 264.7 cells with improved efficiency. Furthermore, the compounds exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity. These findings potentially can be utilized to guide development of novel functional foods and food supplements from sea-originated resources such as brown algae.