RT Journal Article
T1 Exploring macroalgae biorefinery: Extraction of bioactive compounds and production of volatile fatty acids
A1 Cubero Cardoso, Juan
A1 Eibes González, Gemma María
A1 Carballa Arcos, Marta
K1 Anaerobic fermentation
K1 Batch reactors
K1 Seaweed
K1 Solvent extraction
K1 Valorization
AB Macroalgae have gained significant attention in recent research owing to their potential as novel food source and their noteworthy nutritional properties. However, a substantial amount of these macroalgae accumulates along the coast without being utilized, highlighting the need for proper treatment and disposal methods to mitigate secondary pollution effects. Previous studies on macroalgae have primarily focused on extracting bioactive compounds or anaerobic digestion processes to produce methane or volatile fatty acids (VFA), with observed improvements following different pre-treatments. In this study, three biorefinery options for macroalgae have been compared. Additionally, the extraction of bioactive compounds followed by VFA production is proposed as a promising new valorization strategy. Milled macroalgae exhibited a low methane production yield (138 ± 17 NmL CH4·g volatile solid−1), corresponding to 31 ± 4 % biodegradability, while the acidification percentage was higher (45 ± 1%). Among the three solvents applied (water, ethanol and acetone), ethanol (80%) at 25 °C was the most effective in recovering bioactive compounds, such as chlorophylls, sugars, and phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. The extraction of chlorophylls and phenolic compounds was not influenced by particle size reduction. However, a more efficient extraction of sugars was observed with lower particle size. Moreover, ethanol treatment demonstrated the good efficiency in VFA production, reaching up to 3.6 ± 0.2 g VFA-(chemical oxygen demand, COD)·L−1, with a VFA spectrum (in COD basis) consisting of 51% acetic acid, 29% propionic acid, 5% i-butyric acid, 7% butyric acid, and 7% i-valeric acid. These findings highlight the potential of ethanol for efficient compound recovery and VFA production from macroalgae.
PB Elsevier
SN 0013-9351
YR 2024
FD 2024-12-15
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/38222
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/38222
LA eng
NO Cubero-Cardoso, J., Eibes, G., & Carballa, M. (2024). Exploring macroalgae biorefinery: extraction of bioactive compounds and production of volatile fatty acids. Environmental Research, 263, 120008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.120008
NO Juan Cubero-Cardoso wants to thank also Next Generation European Funds and the Ministry of Universities of Spain for funding the Recualificación del Profesorado Universitario system. Gemma Eibes thanks grant RYC2018-026177-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The authors also want to express their acknowledgment to Mrs. Mar Orge and Mónica Dosil for her assistance with this research. The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Groups (GRC)_ ED431C-2021/37. The program is co-funded by FEDER (UE)
DS Minerva
RD 28 abr 2026