Arctic Edible Brown Alga Fucus distichus L.: Biochemical Composition, Antiradical Potential and Human Health Risk

Abstract

Fucus distichus L. is the dominant canopy-forming macroalga in the rocky intertidal areas of the Arctic and Subarctic. In the present study, the impact of the geographic location of F. distichus collected in the Baffin Sea (BfS), Norwegian Sea (NS), White Sea (WS), and Barents Sea (BS) on the variations in biochemical composition, antiradical properties, and health risk was evaluated. The accumulation of main carbohydrates (fucoidan, mannitol, and alginic acid) varied from 335 mg/g dry weight (DW) in NS to 445 mg/g DW in BS. The highest level of the sum of polyphenols and flavonoids was found in samples of F. distichus from WS and was located in the following ranking order: BS < BfS < NS < WS. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of seaweed is correlated with its phenolic content. It is notable that in most Arctic F. distichus samples, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Ni were not detected or their concentrations were below the limit of quantification. According to calculated targeted hazard quotient and hazard index values, all studied samples of Arctic F. distichus are safe for daily consumption as they do not pose a carcinogenic risk to the health of adults or children. The results of this study support the rationale for using Arctic F. distichus as a rich source of polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids with important antiradical activity. We believe that our data will help to effectively use the potential of F. distichus and expand the use of this algae as a promising and safe raw material for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antitumor Activity of Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Dictyota dichotoma

“…The average yield of fucoidan extracted from D. dichotoma var. dichotoma in the present work (5.7%) was higher than that obtained for Fucus spiralis (1.35%), Cystoseira crinite (2.80%), C. sedoides (3.30%), Sargassum tenerrimum (3.60%), C. compressa (3.70%), Fucus versiculosus (4.00%), and S. myriocystum (5.52%) [23,36,37], but lower than the yields reported from Sargassum linifolium (13.04%) and Stypopodium schimperi (9.09%), Undaria pinnatifida (8.8%), Fucus distichus (8.69), Sargassum wightii (7.15%), and Sargassum polycystum (7%) [18,38]. The difference in fucoidan yields was possibly due to the differences in algal species, collection area, degree of maturation, and extraction procedures.…”

“…Specific Dictyota metabolites, such as fucoidans or polyphenols revealed antiviral, anti-nociceptive, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities [7,11]. Additionally, fucoidans obtained from Cystoseira crinite, Laminaria hyperborea, Fucus, F. evanescens, F. vesiculosus, F. distichus, and Ascophyllum nodosum showed antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-coagulant, antidiabetic, anticancer, antiradical, and antibacterial activities [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Moreover, sulfated polysaccharides extracted from D. dichotoma var.…”