Novel valorisation routes of red seaweeds for oligosaccharide and protein extraction

Summary:

Red seaweeds (or red macroalgae) have been consumed for thousands of years as part of the human diet and are commonly found and harvested along Great Britain’s western coast. These organisms are rich in diverse biomolecules, including proteins, polysaccharides, pigments, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, with wide-ranging medical and industrial uses. Red algal polysaccharides (e.g. sulfated polysaccharides and xylans) and pigments exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer and prebiotic properties. Furthermore, red seaweeds contain high levels of protein, in some cases rivalling conventional protein rich foods such as fish, eggs and soybean.

Efficient extraction of valuable compounds from red algae is challenging due to their viscous cell wall polysaccharides. Carbohydrate Active Enzymes (CAZys), including glycoside hydrolases, lyases, esterases and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) naturally break down these polysaccharides. Complete deconstruction of algal biomass, however, requires synergistic physico-chemical and enzymatic treatments with industrial scalability, which are currently lacking.

The proposed project aims to combine microwave-assisted extraction techniques with tailored enzymatic treatments to process red algal biomass, thereby producing high-value oligosaccharides and protein concentrates for various applications. This project draws in expertise from leading academics as well as industrial and research partners, and will open up new opportunities for commercialisation of red seaweed biomass derivatives.

This project is ongoing and an update on the outcomes and impact will be published on completion.

Academic partners: Federico Sabbadin, University of York, Thierry Tonon, University of York, Leonardo Gomez, University of York, Duncan Macquarrie, University of York

Industrial partners: Tim van Berkel, The Cornish Seaweed Company