The Bioactive Potential of Trawl Discard: Case Study from a Crinoid Bed Off Blanes (North-Western Mediterranean)

Abstract

Although knowledge of the bioactive compounds produced by species inhabiting coastal waters is increasing, little is known about the bioactive potential produced by marine species occupying deeper habitats with high biodiversity and productivity. Here, we investigate about the bioactive potential of molecules produced by species that inhabit the crinoid beds, a poorly known essential fish habitat affected by trawling, wherein large amounts of commercial and noncommercial species are discarded. Based on a trawl survey conducted in 2019, 14% of the 64 species discarded on crinoid beds produce molecules with some type of bioactive potential, including; soft corals (Alcyonium palmatum); tunicates (Ascidia mentula); bony fish, such as horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus); European hake (Merluccius merluccius); and chondrichthyans, such as small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). In addition, 16% of the discarded species had congeneric species that produce compounds with bioactive potential, indicating that such species might also possess similar types of bioactive molecules. Molecules with antioxidant, antitumour, antihypertensive, and antibacterial properties were the most frequent, which could provide the basis for future research aiming to discover new marine-based drugs and compounds for other human uses. Among all species or genera that produce compounds with bioactive potential, 68% presented medium or high vulnerability to trawling. Results show that the discarded catch contains many species, which produce different bioactive compounds that represent an added-value resource. These results highlight the importance of manage properly crinoid beds, to ensure that species that produce molecules with bioactive potential inhabiting these habitats are protected.

Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) by-Products Valorization: Viscera Oil ω-3 Enrichment by Short-Path Distillation and In Vitro Bioactivity Evaluation

“…The reduction of food loss and waste, as well as their valorization, is crucial to achieve the goal of "zero waste". Considering that environmental sustainability is closely linked to economic sustainability, scientific and technical knowledge is essential to outline the road map of more sustainable business models and to optimize the efficiency of aquatic resource utilization [1][2][3], according to the 2030 agenda. In view to target the 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (devoted to the proper utilization of the "resources below the water") and considering the pivotal role of aquaculture in satisfying the global demand for fish products, the contribution of this industry to the production of by-products must be properly managed at the national and regional levels.…”

Valorization of Side Stream Products from Sea Cage Fattened Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus): Production and In Vitro Bioactivity Evaluation of Enriched ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

“…Actually, these side streams may represent unused or underutilized resources that still contain a wide number of components with high nutritional value [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. There is a growing interest in research and industry for the sustainable use of fisheries and marine organisms and processing side streams for the extraction of high biological value molecules [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ], especially side streams which can be used to obtain molecules of biochemical interest such as fatty acids, peptides, antioxidants, and bioactive metabolites [ 4 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], which can be utilized in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and animal feed fields [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Fatty acids as trophic markers and indicators of the quality of benthic habitats: The example of maerl and crinoid beds in the Northwestern Mediterranean

“…Red mullet (Mullus barbatus) is one of main target species of Mediterranean demersal fisheries due to their abundance and economic value (Demestre et al, 1997;Tserpes and Peristeraki, 2002). This species has a wide bathymetric distribution in the Mediterranean between 25 and 200 m, so can live in several habitats among which maerl beds, crinoid beds and muddy bottoms (García-de-Vinuesa et al, 2021;Lombarte et al, 2000;Basso et al, 2017). Red mullet feeds mainly on infauna communities that vary in abundance and diversity between habitats (Kamenos et al, 2004;Muntadas et al, 2014Muntadas et al, , 2015.…”

“…Crinoid beds are characterized by a high abundance of the crinoid Leptometra phalangium and are located in the continental shelf edge and the slope of the Mediterranean, typically between 120 and 170 m depth (Colloca et al, 2004;García-de-Vinuesa et al, 2021). This is a highenergy transition zone, where important water mixing phenomena occur that result in nutrient enrichment and an increase in primary productivity that by gravitation sends a large amount of nutrients to the bottom (Vanney and Stanley, 1983;Mann and Lazier, 1996).…”