Valorization of the Red Seaweed Gracilaria gracilis Through a Biorefinery ApproachAlice Martins 1, Filipa R Pinto 1, Sónia Barroso 1, Tatiana Pereira 1, Teresa Mouga 1, Clélia Afonso 1, Marta V Freitas 1,2, Susete Pinteus 1, Rui Pedrosa 1, Maria M Gil 1
1MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, ESTM, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET-Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra
Here, we describe several protocols aiming at an integrated valorization of Gracilaria gracilis: wild species harvesting, in-house growth, and extraction of bioactive ingredients. The extracts' antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic effects are evaluated, along with the nutritional and stability assessment of food enriched with whole seaweed biomass and pigments.
