Efficacy of natural deep eutectic solvents for extraction of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds from fucus vesiculosus

Can a single, eco-friendly solvent simultaneously capture both water-loving and fat-loving compounds from seaweed while supercharging their antioxidant powers? Scientists are now proving it possible.

For the first time, researchers explored the power of natural deep eutectic solvents—commonly known as NADES—to extract a diverse cocktail of compounds from the seaweed Fucus vesiculosus. They targeted water-soluble ascorbic acid and phlorotannins alongside fat-soluble fucoxanthin in one fell swoop. Biological tests revealed that these green solvent extracts pack a serious punch, showing a brilliant ability to scavenge troublesome DPPH radicals. Interestingly, the antioxidant muscle of the extract directly mirrored its wealth of active compounds.

Here is where the chemistry gets thrilling. By tweaking the recipe—adding 30% water to the NADES and stretching the sonication time from 20 to 60 minutes—the team unlocked a massive synergistic effect among the antioxidants. This mixture effect doubled, soaring well past a value of two. Meanwhile, conventional warm maceration stayed stubbornly flat at a mixture effect of one.

Beyond simply pulling these compounds out of the seaweed, NADES pulled off another neat trick: it kept the extracts fiercely stable and fully preserved their antioxidant muscle during storage.

Key Points

• Simultaneous extraction of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds
• Synergistic antioxidant effect doubled using water and sonication
• High stability and preserved antioxidant activity during storage