Biorefining of Brown Seaweeds Catalyzed through Innovative Enzyme Processes

The current expansion of seaweed farming to North America and Europe can be a cornerstone in a new “blue bioeconomy” in the Northern Hemisphere. In this domain, the focus of R&D efforts is on creating value-added products through new biorefining processes for valorizing the unique polysaccharides of seaweeds. Apart from direct consumption of seaweeds as food—particularly in the Asian cuisine—commercial seaweed products are primarily natural hydrocolloids used to make viscous suspensions and gels, but new valuable products exerting bioactivity are coming into focus. This recent development rests on targeted, gentle extraction and modification of the seaweed polysaccharides using tailormade bioprocessing enzyme technologies. Since brown seaweed cultivation is rising in the Northern Hemisphere, this article provides an overview of recent advances and prospects in brown seaweed biorefining.