Ultrasound-assisted extraction of proteins and polysaccharides from seaweed: A comprehensive review of optimization strategies, comparative analysis and future perspectives

Seaweed, a vast and untapped marine resource, harbors an array of bioactive compounds with profound implications for human health, nutrition, and sustainability. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth examination of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technology, a transformative method to unlock the potential of seaweed derived compounds, offering unparalleled efficiency, selectivity, and environmental sustainability. The principles, mechanisms, and applications of UAE in seaweed processing are critically evaluated, revealing enhanced extraction yields, improved product quality, and reduced solvent usage. Hybrid extraction methods combining UAE with other technologies demonstrate synergistic improvements in extraction efficiency and selectivity, while pilot-scale studies and economic evaluations underscore UAE's scalability and commercial viability for industrial seaweed processing. Life cycle assessment and sustainability studies highlight the UAE's environmental benefits, including reduced energy consumption, solvent usage, and waste generation. Standardization and regulation of UAE-based seaweed extraction methods ensure quality, safety, and efficacy. The main outcome of this study was that UAE can increase extraction yields by 20–50 %. The solvent consumption by 30–50 %. Moreover, the integration of UAE with other extraction methods can increase extraction rates by 25–40 % and reduce the environmental footprint by 40 % compared to traditional methods. This wide-ranging review will help researchers, research-based industries and policymakers further unlock the potential of aquatic biomass-derived compounds. It provides a tactical structure for innovating the blue economy and endorsing a sustainable growth path.