Exploring the potential of seaweed as a source of lutein: A study of seasonal and spatial variation insights along the south-eastern coast of India

Abstract

Seaweed play a major role in the food, feed, fertilizer, and cosmetic industries due to their distribution worldwide with varieties, along with their distinctive nutritional and pharmaceutical properties. Lutein is a second most high-value commercial carotenoid and seaweed could serve as a potential alternative to marigold flowers, entirely avoiding freshwater footprint and fertile land-usage. The present study is a first attempt on prospecting lutein production by various seaweed collected from crucial seaweed diversity sites along the south-eastern Indian coast during all the seasons. A total of 347 seaweed including 66 different species were collected during the study period comprising the four seasons. About 102 algae were observed in the pre-monsoon, followed by post-monsoon with 90 seaweed, 78 and 77 algae in the monsoon and summer, respectively. Out of 347 seaweed, lutein yields were prominent in 126 algae belonging to Chlorophyta, 122 to Rhodophyta, and 79 to Heterokontophyta. Among all the seaweed, higher lutein yields were observed for green seaweed such as Valoniopsis pachynema (3.8 mg g⁻¹), Ulva intestinalis (2.8 mg g⁻¹), Caulerpa taxifolia (2.2 mg g⁻¹), and Ulva lactuca (1.3 mg g⁻¹); followed by red algae like Gelidium pusillum (2.1 mg g⁻¹), and Gracilaria corticata (0.74 mg g⁻¹). To avoid over-exploitation of natural resources, seaweed that are cultivable and rich in lutein such as species of Ulva, Caulerpa, G. pusillum and G. corticata shall be considered for large-scale cultivation either in tank-systems or rafts deployed in the open sea for production of seaweed biomass-enriched in lutein, and other valuable compounds.