Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Wild or Reared? Cassiopea andromeda Jellyfish as a Potential Biofactory

TitoloWild or Reared? Cassiopea andromeda Jellyfish as a Potential Biofactory
Tipo di pubblicazioneArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Anno di Pubblicazione2025
AutoriDe Domenico, Stefania, Toso Andrea, De Rinaldis Gianluca, Mammone Marta, Fumarola Lara M., Piraino Stefano, and Leone Antonella
RivistaMarine Drugs
Volume23
Issue1
Paginazione19
Data di pubblicazioneJan-01-2025
Parole chiaveCassiopea andromeda; farming; holobiont; zooxanthellae; pigments; fatty acids; antioxidant; sustainable production
Abstract

The zooxanthellate jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Forsskål, 1775), a Lessepsian species increasingly common in the western and central Mediterranean Sea, was investigated here to assess its potential as a source of bioactive compounds from medusa specimens both collected in the wild (the harbor of Palermo, NW Sicily) and reared under laboratory-controlled conditions. A standardized extraction protocol was used to analyze the biochemical composition of the two sampled populations in terms of protein, lipid, and pigment contents, as well as for their relative concentrations of dinoflagellate symbionts. The total extracts and their fractions were also biochemically characterized and analyzed for their in vitro antioxidant activity to quantify differences in functional compounds between wild and reared jellyfish. The two populations were similar in terms of extract yield, but with substantial differences in biomass, the number of zooxanthellae, protein and lipid contents, and fatty acid composition. The hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from jellyfish grown under controlled conditions showed greater antioxidant activity due to the presence of a higher content of bioactive compounds compared to wild jellyfish. This study could be the basis for considering the sustainable breeding of this holobiont or other similar organisms as a source of valuable compounds that can be used in the food, nutraceutical, or pharmaceutical sectors.

URLhttps://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/1/19
DOI10.3390/md23010019
Titolo breveMarine Drugs
Citation Key13011