Microwave-assisted extraction of glycosaminoglycan-like polysaccharides from Rhizostoma pulmo jellyfish

Climate change has led to increased jellyfish blooms in the Mediterranean Sea, significantly impacting coastal economies such as tourism and fishing. Polysaccharides from the jellyfish species Rhizostoma pulmo (JSP) have emerged as promising biomaterial for pharmaceutical applications. Previous research demonstrated the potential of these glycosaminoglycan-like structure polysaccharides, extracted via hot-water extraction, for wound healing. This study aims to describe a more eco-friendly and rapid microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) process for JSPs, while preserving their glycosaminoglycan features. Two dehydration methods - freeze-thawing and ethanol incubation - and two MAE conditions (140 °C for 10 min or 120 °C for 30 min) were evaluated. The samples were purified to obtain two polysaccharide fractions: one neutral and another negatively charged. Physical, chemical and biological properties were assessed, and the selected method was applied under scaled-up conditions. The results indicate that MAE is applicable for the extraction of JSPs, it does not significantly alter the chemical characteristics of polysaccharides while increasing the extraction yield of 3.4 times. Moreover, the RP-JSP displays optimal biocompatibility and antioxidant activity for future biomedical applications.