Aqueous phosphate-buffer extraction of sun-dried Halymenia durvillei found that 1:25 at 35°C for 48 hours in the first cycle best favoured phycoerythrin concentration, yield, purity index and soluble protein. Some 1:50 conditions instead favoured phenolic/flavonoid-equivalent and antioxidant responses, showing that all product targets cannot be co-optimised.
Key findings
- The 1:25 w/v, 35°C, 48-hour first-cycle condition led PE and soluble-protein measures, while selected 1:50 conditions improved phenolic/flavonoid-equivalent and antioxidant responses. Response patterns differed, so no single condition maximised all targets. The authors explicitly classify products as crude PE-containing extracts.
Why this matters globally
Algal protein pigments have food, cosmetic and analytical potential. Aqueous recovery from sun-dried tropical biomass may reduce cold-chain burden and support biorefineries if quality, safety and downstream purification economics hold.
Thai researcher contribution
Kasetsart University, the Department of Fisheries' Phetchaburi coastal aquaculture centre and Chulalongkorn University linked Thai seaweed cultivation with food science and extraction design.
Limitations to consider
The abstract gives no numerical yields/purity or replicate counts. Phenolic/flavonoid results are assay equivalents, not compound identification; in-vitro antioxidant response is not human benefit. A 48-hour buffered extraction needs cost analysis, with purification, stability, contaminants and sensory properties unresolved.