Sustainable green extraction methods for Fucoidan: A bioactive compound from seaweed

The extraction process of fucoidan has a significant impact on its bioactivity. Fucoidan has been extracted from seaweed biomass using conventional extraction techniques, which usually involve acidic hydrolysis or hot water treatment followed by alcohol precipitation. The molecular structure of fucoidan may be broken down by these methods, which commonly use high temperatures, long processing times, and strong chemical reagents. They may also cause undesirable polysaccharides like laminarin and alginate to be co-extracted. Such degradation can be reduced by using emerging and sustainable green extraction technologies like enzyme assisted extraction, ultrasound assisted extraction, microwave assisted extraction and subcritical water extraction. To minimize use of chemicals and environmental impact while preserving structural integrity of fucoidan subcritical water extraction can be used, aligns with green chemistry principles.