The marine environment has been recognized as a rich source of bioactive metabolites with various biological and pharmacological activities. The chemical complexity and biological diversity of the marine-derived compounds is enormous, so that bio-prospecting of marine organisms today represents a major tool for the discovery of new therapeutic agents and drug candidates. The abnormal proliferation of gelatinous marine organisms in many marine ecosystems, including the Mediterranean Sea, is a steadily increasing phenomenon. The social and economic consequences for the negative impact of jellyfish blooms on public health, tourism, industrial and commercial activities, are well known. Conversely, with a positive perspective, the large amount of jellyfish could be regarded as easily available biomasses that might represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds beneficial for humans, including bioactive peptides, collagen and gelatin, oligosaccharides, fatty acids, enzymes, calcium, water-soluble minerals, and biopolymers. The large amount of jellyfish biomass, indeed, could be used as raw material for both, the direct use as food or feed, or for the bioactive compounds extraction. Some Scyphomedusae population present in European seas can reach enormous size biomasses (e.g. Rhizostoma pulmo, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, Aurelia aurita). Recent data show peculiar biological properties of their tissues in terms of protein and non-protein components, providing some of scientific basis for their use in the pharmacopoeia and traditional cuisine from South East Asia. The extracellular matrix in the jellyfish bodies contains mainly collagen, a structural protein with many biological and technological properties (mechanical and gelling properties, emulsifiers, antioxidant, protective and immune-boosting). Other non-collagen pepsin digestible proteins are also abundant. Finally, ?-3 and ?-6 fatty acids, polyphenols as well as a number of other bioactive compounds, are also present. Within EU projects (VECTORS, MED-JELLYRISK), in collaboration with European and Italian Institutions (EFSA, CoNISMa, University, CSIC - ICM Barcelona), we are conducting studies on jellyfish species common in the Mediterranean Sea, which display huge blooms along the Italian coast. The various identified biological properties, including antioxidant and anti-cancer activities, make the jellyfish biomass a potentially valuable material for food, feed, cosmetic, and biomedical industries. A number of Mediterranean key jellyfish species are currently targeted in the search for putative valuable bioactive compounds, with new findings recommending future exploitation of available jellyfish biomasses. Anyway, no European species seems to be commercialized until now, although in a recent publication of the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) jellyfish appear in the core category as "food source of animal origin": A02GY- Jellyfish (Cnidaria) as food source of animal origin. Despite in many European countries, jellyfish products can be found within markets of Asian communities, they often fail to conform to regulations regarding product traceability and mislabeling is often showed. Although growing data suggest a number of valuable properties of some jellyfish, including several Mediterranean species, a clear recognition and classification of related products is still lacking.
Blue Growth and marine biotechnology: uses of jellyfish biomasses as a resource for human consumption and pharmacology
Antonella Leone
2014
Abstract
The marine environment has been recognized as a rich source of bioactive metabolites with various biological and pharmacological activities. The chemical complexity and biological diversity of the marine-derived compounds is enormous, so that bio-prospecting of marine organisms today represents a major tool for the discovery of new therapeutic agents and drug candidates. The abnormal proliferation of gelatinous marine organisms in many marine ecosystems, including the Mediterranean Sea, is a steadily increasing phenomenon. The social and economic consequences for the negative impact of jellyfish blooms on public health, tourism, industrial and commercial activities, are well known. Conversely, with a positive perspective, the large amount of jellyfish could be regarded as easily available biomasses that might represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds beneficial for humans, including bioactive peptides, collagen and gelatin, oligosaccharides, fatty acids, enzymes, calcium, water-soluble minerals, and biopolymers. The large amount of jellyfish biomass, indeed, could be used as raw material for both, the direct use as food or feed, or for the bioactive compounds extraction. Some Scyphomedusae population present in European seas can reach enormous size biomasses (e.g. Rhizostoma pulmo, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, Aurelia aurita). Recent data show peculiar biological properties of their tissues in terms of protein and non-protein components, providing some of scientific basis for their use in the pharmacopoeia and traditional cuisine from South East Asia. The extracellular matrix in the jellyfish bodies contains mainly collagen, a structural protein with many biological and technological properties (mechanical and gelling properties, emulsifiers, antioxidant, protective and immune-boosting). Other non-collagen pepsin digestible proteins are also abundant. Finally, ?-3 and ?-6 fatty acids, polyphenols as well as a number of other bioactive compounds, are also present. Within EU projects (VECTORS, MED-JELLYRISK), in collaboration with European and Italian Institutions (EFSA, CoNISMa, University, CSIC - ICM Barcelona), we are conducting studies on jellyfish species common in the Mediterranean Sea, which display huge blooms along the Italian coast. The various identified biological properties, including antioxidant and anti-cancer activities, make the jellyfish biomass a potentially valuable material for food, feed, cosmetic, and biomedical industries. A number of Mediterranean key jellyfish species are currently targeted in the search for putative valuable bioactive compounds, with new findings recommending future exploitation of available jellyfish biomasses. Anyway, no European species seems to be commercialized until now, although in a recent publication of the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) jellyfish appear in the core category as "food source of animal origin": A02GY- Jellyfish (Cnidaria) as food source of animal origin. Despite in many European countries, jellyfish products can be found within markets of Asian communities, they often fail to conform to regulations regarding product traceability and mislabeling is often showed. Although growing data suggest a number of valuable properties of some jellyfish, including several Mediterranean species, a clear recognition and classification of related products is still lacking.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
