Polysaccharides, lipids and amino acid profiles were investigated to understand the nutritional value of Caulerpa racemosa and Ulva fasciata from the Philippines. The results revealed that both species contain high amounts of proteins (8.8–19.9% for C. racemosa and 8.0–11.1% for U. fasciata). The portions of the total amino acids that were essential amino acids (EAAs) (45.28 ± 0.12% for C. racemosa and 42.17 ± 0.12% for U. fasciata) out were comparable to FAO/WHO requirements. Leucine, valine, isoleucine, and lysine are the dominant EAAs in C. racemosa, while leucine, valine, lysine, and phenylalanine are those in U. fasciata. The fatty acid profiles are dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in C. racemosa (56.2%), while saturated fatty acids (72.1%) are dominant in U. fasciata. High C18/C20 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios were recorded in both species. Mineral contents for both seaweeds were within levels considered safe for functional foods. Total pigment content of C. racemosa (140.84 mg/g dw) was almost 20 times higher than that of U. fasciata (7.54 mg/g dw). Hot water extract (HWE) from C. racemosa showed in vitro antiherpetic activity without cytotoxicity. Nutritional characteristics confirmed that C. racemosa could be potentially used as a nutritious and functional food items for human consumption.

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Data on fractionation and depolymerization of the matrix ulvan polysaccharides, and studies on the biological activities on skin cells, are very scarce. In this work, crude ulvans were produced by using EAE (enzyme-assisted extraction) and compared to maceration (an established procedure). After different fractionation procedures—ethanolic precipitation, dialysis, or ammonium sulfate precipitation—the biochemical composition showed that EAE led to an increased content in ulvans. Coupling EAE to sulfate ammonium precipitation led to protein enrichment. Oligosaccharides were obtained by using radical depolymerization by H2O2 and ion-exchange resin depolymerization. Sulfate groups were partially cleaved during these chemical treatments. The potential bioactivity of the fractions was assessed using a lipoxygenase inhibition assay for anti-inflammatory activity and a WST-1 assay for human dermal fibroblast viability and proliferation. All ulvans extracts, poly- and oligosaccharidic fractions from EAE, expanded the fibroblast proliferation rate up to 62%. Our research emphasizes the potential use of poly- and oligosaccharidic fractions of Ulva sp. for further development in cosmetic applications.