Antioxidant Activity of DPPH From Seaweed Extract Using Meta-Analysis Study

Abstract

Seaweed is a fishery product that possesses antioxidant activity and is used as a functional food source. The popularity of natural antioxidants is on the rise due to the perception that they are more secure in terms of their level of safety. In recent years, reports have emerged regarding the antioxidant activity of seaweeds using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) testing method; however, the findings have been inconsistent. Hence, the necessity of employing analytical techniques and extracting conclusions from a diverse range of literature through meta-analysis has become apparent. The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to identify the highest antioxidant activity in seaweed extracts, considering the type of seaweed, habitat, method of extraction, and type of solvent used. This study was conducted through a series of steps, including the formulation of research questions, establishment of inclusion and exclusion criteria, conduct of a literature search and selection of articles, extraction of data, processing of data, and interpretation of the results of the meta-analysis. Using quantitative data analysis with the aid of OpenMEE software, our meta-analysis of 14 pertinent articles yielded an overall effect size (SMD) of-10.563, indicating a statistically significant superiority of ascorbic acid's antioxidant activity in comparison to that of seaweed. Moreover, the high level of heterogeneity necessitated a subgroup analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed that among the various subgroups examined, red seaweed grown in India exhibited the highest antioxidant activity when subjected to the Soxhlet extraction method and 95% ethanol solvent. According to the Rosenthal test, this study was free of publication bias.