Nanoencapsulated Extract of a Red Seaweed (Rhodophyta) Species as a Promising Source of Natural Antioxidants

Yasmin R Maghraby; Mohamed A Farag; Michael G Kontominas; Zeinab T Shakour; Adham R Ramadan

doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c05517

Nanoencapsulated Extract of a Red Seaweed (Rhodophyta) Species as a Promising Source of Natural Antioxidants

ACS Omega. 2022 Feb 16;7(8):6539-6548. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05517. eCollection 2022 Mar 1.

Authors

Yasmin R Maghraby¹, Mohamed A Farag^{1

2}, Michael G Kontominas³, Zeinab T Shakour⁴, Adham R Ramadan¹

Affiliations

¹ Chemistry Department, The American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, New Cairo 11835, Egypt.
² Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini St., Cairo 11562, Egypt.
³ Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
⁴ Pharmacognosy Department, National Center for Natural Products Research, Giza 11111, Egypt.

Abstract

Marine seaweed species represent an important source of bioactive compounds possessing antioxidant activity. This study aimed at evaluating the antioxidant capacity of the Jania rubens algal extract by means of two antioxidant assays, i.e., 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. The seaweeds' total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also assayed as markers of antioxidant activity. To identify active agents responsible for the antioxidant activity, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used for comprehensive metabolites characterization. To enhance the Jania rubens efficacy, the extract was nanoencapsulated using an ionic gelation method by means of high-pressure homogenization. The optimum nanoformulation had a particle size of 161 nm, a ζ potential of 31.2 mV, a polydispersity index of 0.211, and entrapment efficiency of 99.7%. The in vitro phytochemicals' release profiles of Jania rubens chitosan nanoparticles in comparison to the concentration of the raw algal extract were studied by the dialysis bag diffusion method revealing that the extract was released in a controlled pattern. The results indicated the potential advantages of the encapsulated Jania rubens extract, with its potent antioxidant activity, for use in different applications where sustained release is useful.