Rivero Pino, FernandoGonzález de la Rosa, TeresaTorrecillas López, MaríaBarrera Chamorro, LunaRío-Vázquez, José Luis delMárquez Parada, ElviraFernández Prior, ÁfricaGarcáa-Vaquero, MarcoGarcía Gómez, José CarlosMontserrat de la Paz, SergioClaro Cala, Carmen María2025-05-232025-05-232025-05-01Rivero Pino, F., González de la Rosa, T., Torrecillas López, M., Barrera Chamorro, L., Río-Vázquez, J.L.d., Márquez Parada, E.,...,Claro Cala, C.M. (2025). Characterization of Rugulopteryx okamurae algae: A source of bioactive peptides, omega-3 fatty acids, and volatile compounds. Food Chemistry, 473, 143084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.143084.0308-81461873-7072https://hdl.handle.net/11441/173231This study provides a detailed characterization of the invasive algae Rugulopteryx okamurae, highlighting its nutritional composition, mineral content, and potential bioactive compounds. This biomass contains 14.18 % protein, 21.29 % lipids (with a high omega-3 content), fibre (31.32 %), and significant amounts of minerals like calcium, sodium, potassium, sulphur, and iron. Phenolic compounds (0.74 %) and volatile compounds, such as retinol, were also identified. Peptidome analysis revealed 626 unique peptides, with 21 low molecular weight peptides showing potential activity against angiotensin converting enzyme and dipeptidyl peptidase IV when assessed using in silico tools and using molecular docking. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity of the alga was demonstrated with a significant free radical inhibition (EC50: 2.09 mg/mL). Overall, this study provides initial evidence on the nutritional potential of R. okamurae, which may have potential for future applications in food and biotechnology fields.application/pdf15 p.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/AlgaeBioactive peptidesMolecular dockingVitamin Ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.143084