SARGEX research exchange advances methods for studying Sargassum extracts
Researchers from Cuba and Belgium combined laboratory training and experimental work at the University of Antwerp to investigate Sargassum extracts and identify priorities for further testing.
A SARGEX research exchange at the University of Antwerp brought together scientists from Cuba’s ICIMAR and the university’s Cell Death Signaling and Natura Products laboratories (NatuRA). Activities ran from 3 June to 26 August at Campus Drie Eiken, combining research coordination, practical training and laboratory experiments.
The collaboration involved Professors Wim Vanden Berghe and Emmy Tuenter, Dr Kenn Foubert, and visiting researchers Idania Rodeiro, Elizabeth Reyes, Yasnay Hernandez Rivera, Kethia Gonzales and Indyra Barrizonte Valladares.
The teams investigated extracts prepared from Sargassum using solvents with different properties, helping them explore different groups of compounds within the seaweed. Training and experiments focused on assessing the extracts’ biological activity, including their effects on cell viability and mitochondrial activity.
Initial chemical analyses detected compounds at low concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. However, concentrations were insufficient for identification using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, leaving further work needed to establish their identities.
Preliminary cell-based tests showed limited measurable biological activity in the crude extracts. They also highlighted challenges that need to be addressed before the results can be interpreted more confidently. Components of the extracts can interfere with tests that rely on colour or fluorescence, while some materials can precipitate or form aggregates in cell culture medium.
These findings help define the next steps: refining sample preparation and testing conditions, and exploring alternative detection methods where necessary.
Alongside the laboratory programme, participants joined research meetings and a seaweed field trip along the Belgian–Dutch coastline. The exchange strengthened collaboration between the teams and provided practical training to support the next phase of SARGEX research.
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