Search Results (2)

The particles from the gas-saturated solutions (PGSS) process was employed to micronize brown algae pigments separated by different extraction techniques. The particle formation of pigments with a coating material, polyethylene glycol (PEG), was carried out by the PGSS process using supercritical CO₂. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed to characterize the produced particles, while encapsulation efficiency was determined using spectrophotometric methods. The physical properties of obtained microparticles were also determined. The PGSS process enabled a high encapsulation yield in the range from 61.60 to 73.73%, and high encapsulation efficiency in terms of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid content. The release of CO₂ during the PGSS process gave the microparticles their characteristic open and porous form, and enhanced the solubility and flow properties at the same time. Full article

The endemic brown macroalga Fucus virsoides J. Agardh from the Adriatic Sea was in the focus of the present research. The volatiles of fresh (FrFv) and air-dried (DrFv) samples of F. virsoides obtained by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and hydrodistillation (HD) were analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector and mass spectrometry (GC-FID/MS). The major HS-FrFv compound was pentadecane (61.90–71.55%) followed by pentadec-1-ene (11.00–7.98%). In HS-DrFv, pentadec-1-ene was not present, and few lower aliphatic compounds appeared, as well as benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol. In HD-FrFv, particularly abundant were alkenes (such as pentadec-1-ene (19.32%), or (E)-pentadec-7-ene (8.35%)). In HD-DrFv, more oxidation products were present (e.g., carbonyl compounds such as tridecanal (18.51%)). The fatty acids profile of freeze-dried sample (FdFv) after conversion to methyl esters was determined by GC-FID, and oleic acid was dominant (42.28%), followed by arachidonic acid (15.00%). High-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (HPLC-ESI-HRMS) was used for the screening of less polar fractions (F3 and F4) of F. virsoides. Mono- and diglycerides of stearic, palmitic, oleic, and arachidonic acids were found. Terpenoids and steroids comprised the compounds C₂₀H₃₀₍₃₂₎O₂ and C₂₉H₄₈O₍₂₎. Among carotenoids, fucoxanthin was identified. Chlorophyll derivatives were also found (C₅₅H₇₄₍₇₂₎N₄O_(5-7)), dominated by pheophytin a. The antioxidant activity of the fractions was investigated by in vitro assays (oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), reduction of radical cation (ABTS•⁺), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and by in vivo zebrafish model (along with fish embryotoxicity). In vitro experiments proved good radical scavenging abilities of F3 and F4 fractions, which were additionally supported by the protective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos. Full article