The effect of light, aeration and temperature on the growth and phenolic content of cultivated Ecklonia cava gametophytes (Phaeophyceae) and their antioxidant properties
Semmouri, I.; Lee, H.; Alahyaribeik, S.; Baldominos Botas, J.M.; Claeys, P.; Han, T.; Janssen, C.R.; Mirzaei, M.; Asselman, J.; Park, J. (2025). The effect of light, aeration and temperature on the growth and phenolic content of cultivated Ecklonia cava gametophytes (Phaeophyceae) and their antioxidant properties. J. Appl. Phycol. 37: 4395-4411. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10811-025-03649-z
In: Journal of Applied Phycology. Springer: Dordrecht. ISSN 0921-8971; e-ISSN 1573-5176, more
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| Keywords |
Properties > Biological properties > Toxicity > Cytotoxicity
Ecklonia cava Kjellman, 1885 [WoRMS]; Phaeophyceae [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
Phlorotannins · Bioactive compounds · Caco-2 cells · Antioxidant activity · Cytotoxicity |
| Authors | | Top |
- Semmouri, I., more
- Lee, H.
- Alahyaribeik, S.
- Baldominos Botas, J.M.
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- Claeys, P.
- Han, T., more
- Janssen, C.R., more
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- Mirzaei, M.
- Asselman, J., more
- Park, J., more
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| Abstract |
This study investigates how selected environmental variables affect growth and total (poly)phenolic content (TPC) in the gametophyte stage of the brown kelp, Ecklonia cava, in controlled laboratory settings. In three multivariate cultivation experiments, we explored the effect of irradiance, aeration and temperature on the growth and TPC of both male and female gametophytes. Temperature did not cause significant changes in TPC content of female gametophytes, while for males grown at 15 °C significantly higher TPC levels were observed. We observed significant differences in TPC levels in both female and male gametophytes grown under different irradiances, while no effect of aeration was observed. In addition to their cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity of the polyphenolic extracts of female gametophytes was evaluated via two in vitro assays. First, all evaluated extracts displayed DPPH radical scavenging activity, ranging from approximately 22 – 59%, depending on the growth condition of the gametophytes. Second, induced intracellular oxidative stress in intestinal Caco-2 cells decreased significantly after exposure, compared with the control. From these results we conclude that TPC production in E. cava gametophytes is not aligned with optimal conditions for growth, influencing antioxidant activity, which could inform cultivation strategies for enhanced TPC levels. This study is a next step towards the development of the use and production of the bioactive compounds of E. cava and its potential use as a future marketable product. |
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