Mabate Blessing, Mkabayi Lithalethu, Goddard Deandra Rochelle, Grobler Coleen Elizabeth, Pletschke Brett Ivan
Enzyme Science Programme (ESP), Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6139, South Africa.
Mar Drugs. 2025 Jul 29;23(8):303. doi: 10.3390/md23080303.
Seaweeds, classified as non-vascular plants, have definite advantages over terrestrial plants as they grow rapidly, can be cultivated in coastal environments, and are dependable and non-endangered sources of biomass. Algal bioproducts, which include a wide range of bioactive compounds, have drawn much interest because of their applications in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and cosmetics. Particularly in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields, algal bioproducts have shown tremendous activity in regulating enzymes involved in human diseases. However, the drawbacks of conventional extraction methods impede the complete exploitation of seaweed biomass. These include low efficiency, high cost, and potential harm to the environment. Enzyme technology developments in recent years present a viable way to overcome these challenges. Enzymatic processes improve product yields and reduce the environmental impact of processing, while facilitating the more effective extraction of valuable bioactive compounds as part of an integrated biorefinery approach. Enzyme-assisted biorefinery techniques can greatly advance the creation of a circular bioeconomy and increase the yield of extracted seaweed bioproducts, thus improving their value. With the potential to scale up to industrial levels, these biotechnological developments in enzymatic extraction are developing rapidly and can advance the sustainable exploitation of seaweed resources. This review emphasises the increasing importance of enzyme technologies in the seaweed biorefinery and their contribution to developing more environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and sustainable methods for valorising products derived from seaweed. In the biorefinery industry, enzyme-assisted methods have enormous potential for large-scale industrial applications with further development, opening the door to a more sustainable, circular bioeconomy.
海藻被归类为非维管植物，与陆地植物相比具有明显优势，因为它们生长迅速，可以在沿海环境中种植，并且是可靠的、非濒危的生物质来源。藻类生物产品包含多种生物活性化合物，由于其在营养保健品、制药、农业和化妆品中的应用而备受关注。特别是在制药和营养保健领域，藻类生物产品在调节与人类疾病相关的酶方面表现出巨大活性。然而，传统提取方法的缺点阻碍了海藻生物质的充分开发利用。这些缺点包括效率低、成本高以及对环境的潜在危害。近年来酶技术的发展提供了一种克服这些挑战的可行方法。酶促工艺提高了产品产量，降低了加工过程对环境的影响，同时作为综合生物炼制方法的一部分，有助于更有效地提取有价值的生物活性化合物。酶辅助生物炼制技术可以极大地推动循环生物经济的发展，提高提取的海藻生物产品的产量，从而提升其价值。由于有可能扩大到工业规模，这些酶促提取方面的生物技术发展迅速，能够推动海藻资源的可持续开发利用。本综述强调了酶技术在海藻生物炼制中的重要性日益增加，以及它们对开发更环保、经济可行且可持续的方法以提升海藻衍生产品价值的贡献。在生物炼制行业，酶辅助方法经过进一步发展在大规模工业应用中具有巨大潜力，为更可持续的循环生物经济打开了大门。
