A Review of Antiviral and Antioxidant Activity of Bioactive Metabolite of Macroalgae within an Optimized Extraction Method

• Main Authors: Rasha El-Shafei, Hala Hegazy, Bishnu Acharya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: macro-algae; antioxidant; antiviral; ulvan; subcritical water extraction
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/11/3092

Non-conventional extraction of bioactive metabolites could provide sustainable alternative techniques to preserve the potency of antioxidants and antiviral compounds extracted from macro-algae. In this paper, we first reviewed the antioxidant and antiviral potential of the active metabolites that exist in the three known macro-algae classes; Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae, and Chlorophyceae, and a comparison between their activities is discussed. Secondly, a review of conventional and non-conventional extraction methods is undertaken. The review then focused on identifying the optimal extraction method of sulphated polysaccharide from macro-algae that exhibits both antiviral and antioxidant activity. The review finds that species belonging to the Phaeophyceae and Rhodophceae classes are primarily potent against herpes simplex virus, followed by human immunodeficiency virus and influenza virus. At the same time, species belonging to Chlorophyceae class are recorded by most of the scholars to have antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus 1. Additionally, all three macro-algae classes exhibit antioxidant activity, the potency of which is a factor of the molecular structure of the bioactive metabolite as well as the extraction method applied.