A comparative study of extraction methods for recovery of bioactive components from brown algae Sargassum...

Species of Sargassum genus are known to be rich sources of bioactive compounds. However, there is a lack of studies comparing extraction methods for these bioactive components. This study aimed to compare the total phenolic contents, total antioxidant capacity, tyrosinase inhibitory effect, sargahydroquinoic acid (SHQA) and sargachromenol (SCM), two algal meroterpenoids, of Sargassum serratifolium extracts acquired by different extraction methods. The methods employed in this study included conventional solid-liquid extraction using methanol (SME), supercritical fluid extraction using CO₂ with ethanol as a co-solvent (SC-CO₂ + ethanol), and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) at two temperatures (25 and 100 °C). PLE at 100 °C (PLE100) exhibited the highest total yield, total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Notably, SME resulted in the highest recovery of both SHQA and SCM. Compared to SME, PLE100 exhibited a two-fold increase in antioxidant capacity but a minimal increase in phenolic content.