Red seaweeds strengthening the nexus between nutrition and health: phytochemical characterization and bioactive properties of Grateloupia turuturu and Porphyra umbilicalis extracts

The red seaweeds Grateloupia turuturu and Porphyra umbilicalis are commonly used as human food, mainly in East Asia, being valuable nutritional sources. However, studies focusing on their composition and bioactivities are scarce. Thus, G. turuturu and P. umbilicalis hydroethanolic and water (infusion and decoction) extracts were prepared to characterize their bioactive compounds; assess antioxidant activity against ABTS •+ , • OH and • NO radicals and evaluate anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory activities using mouse macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells. Folin–Ciocalteau results showed that G. turuturu and P. umbilicalis water extracts have fourfold and threefold, respectively, higher content in reducing compounds than hydroethanolic extracts, with the water decoctions on the richer ones (15.7 ± 0.3 and 11.9 ± 0.2 mg GAE g −1 dw, respectively; p