Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae in the class Phaeophyta, distributed widely in all oceans, including those of Vietnam. Species of this genus have been proven to possess diverse biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory, along with many benefits and applications for human health, including anti-diabetic, obesity, and thrombosis. These benefits arise from a diverse chemical composition, with compounds such as fucoidan, mannitol, and especially phlorotannin—a group of phenolic derivatives found predominantly in brown algae. In this study, we evaluated and optimized the factors that affected the extraction process of phlorotannins from Sargassum swartzii (Turn.) C. Ag., a common species of brown macroalgae in Vietnam. The process utilized ethanol and water as the solvent system, and the extraction process was assisted with the use of microwaves. To carry out optimization studies, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was adopted according to a Central Composite Desisgn (CCD), taking four processing factors into consideration, ethanol concentration (%, v/v), extraction time (minutes), solvent/material ratio (v/w), and microwave output power (W) as independent variables. Phlorotannin concentration (mgPhE/g) and extract mass (mg) were regarded as optimization outcomes. Experimental conditions that produced the highest phlorotannin yield from 10 g of S. swartzii are as follows: Extraction time of 65 minutes, ethanol concentration of 52%, microwave output power of 613 W, and solvent/material ratio of 33/1 (v/w). These conditions corresponded to a phlorotannin concentration of 5.59 ± 0.11 mg PhE/g, and a total extract content of 27.88 ± 0.13 mg/g.

Part of the Indo-Chinese peninsula and located on the northwest edge of the Coral Triangle in the South China Sea, the Vietnamese coastal zone is home to a wealthy marine biodiversity associated with the regional geological setting and history, which supports a large number of marine ecosystems along a subtropical to tropical gradient. The diversity of coastal benthic marine primary producers is also a key biological factor supporting marine biological diversity. The present review provides: (1) an updated checklist of the Vietnamese marine flora, (2) a review of molecular-assisted alpha taxonomic efforts, (3) an analysis of marine floral biodiversity spatial distribution nationally and regionally (South China Sea), (4) a review of the impact of anthropogenic and environmental stressors on the Vietnamese marine flora, and (5) the efforts developed in the last decade for its conservation. Based on the studies conducted since 2013 and the nomenclatural changes that occurred during this period, an updated checklist of benthic marine algae and seagrasses consisted in a new total of 878 species, including 439 Rhodophyta, 156 Ochrophyta, 196 Chlorophyta, 87 Cyanobacteria, and 15 phanerogam seagrasses. This update contains 54 new records and 5 new species of macroalgae. The fairly poor number of new records and new species identified in the last 10 years in a “mega-diverse” country can be largely attributed to the limited efforts in exploring algal biodiversity and the limited use of genetic tools, with only 25.4% (15 species) of these new records and species made based on molecular-assisted alpha taxonomy. The South Central Coast supports the highest species diversity of marine algae, which coincides with the largest density of coral reefs along the Vietnamese coast. Vietnam holds in the South China Sea one of the richest marine floras, imputable to the country’s geographical, geological, and climatic settings. However, Vietnam marine floral biodiversity is under critical threats examined here, and current efforts are insufficient for its conservation. A methodical molecular-assisted re-examination of Vietnam marine floral biodiversity is urgently needed, complemented with in-depth investigations of the main threats targeting marine flora and vulnerable taxa, and finally, conservation measures should be urgently implemented.