Effect of drying temperature on the content of fucoxanthin, phenolic and antioxidant activity of Malaysian brown seaweed, Sargassum sp.

This study evaluated the influence of different drying temperatures on the content of fucoxanthin, phenolic and antioxidant activity of Malaysian brown seaweed, Sargassum sp. The brown seaweed was dried at 40, 65, and 90 °C. All seaweeds dried powders were assessed for total lipid and fucoxanthin. Non-boiled and boiled water extract were analysed for their total phenolic content (TPC) using Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activities were assayed by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2, 2-phenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging. Results of the study showed that with increasing of drying temperature, it will enhance significantly (p 0.05) the fucoxanthin content, TPC as well as antioxidant activity of this dried brown seaweed in the boiled extracts. The dried brown seaweed at 90 °C give the highest value for fucoxanthin content, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.