Enzymatic extraction of fucoxanthin from brown seaweeds

Brown seaweeds contain a number of bioactive compounds. The xanthophyll, fucoxanthin, has in vivo efficacy against disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. Organic solvents are traditionally employed to extract fucoxanthin, but carry a toxic chemical and environmental burden. The aim of this study was to optimise a fucoxanthin extraction method using enzymes, water, low-temperature dehydration and mechanical blending, to produce yields comparable to those achieved with an organic solvent (acetone). Response surface methodology was applied, using Fucus vesiculosus as a model species. A fucoxanthin yield of 0.657 mg g⁻¹ (dry mass) was obtained from F. vesiculosus blade using the enzymatic method, equivalent to 94% of the acetone-extracted yield. Optimum extraction parameters were determined to be enzyme-to-water ratio 0.52%, seaweed-to-water ratio 5.37% and enzyme incubation time 3.05 h. These findings may be applied to the development of value-added nutraceutical products from seaweed.