# GC- and UHPLC-MS Profiles as a Tool to Valorize the Red Alga Asparagopsis armata+
## 4 Conclusions  
The initial study on applying different methodologies to obtain polar extracts of _A. armata_ showed that the choice of the extraction method would have to consider which compounds are intended to be extracted and the intended application for the obtained extract. The chemical profile of the water extract obtained by maceration (extract **2**) has greater chemical diversity and is economically cheaper. Herein, for the first time, the aqueous and lipophilic _A. armata_ extracts were tested as anti-aging agents with antioxidant and/or enzymatic inhibitors action. The polar extract was the most active, exhibiting the ability to inhibit 43.20 \(\pm\) 2.58% of elastase activity at a 250 ug/mL concentration. On the other hand, although the lipophilic extract is a weak cholinesterase inhibitor, it is a dual inhibitor (it inhibits acetyl and butyryl-cholinesteraseerase identically), which constitutes an advantage concerning its potential as an agent against Alzheimer's Disease. Qualitative analysis by UHPLC-MS demonstrates that _A. armata_ water extract is rich in phenolic compounds bearing bromine atoms; furthermore, the cinnamic acid scaffold is a prominent nucleus. The secondary metabolites herein described may explain the seaweed persistence and absence of predators. Furthermore, the anti- elastase activity mentioned above may be related to these phenolic compounds present in the water extract; nevertheless, more studies are essential. The analysis of the most lipophilic fraction of _A. armata_ (dichloromethane extract) by GC-MS allowed to identify and quantify 25 compounds, seven of them for the 1 st time in this species, such as two dibrominated unsaturated alcohols, the 1,4-dibromobuten-1-ol and its isomer with the bromine atoms in different positions (a total of 166.2 mg/100 g of dry algae, 40.6% of identified compounds); two monobromine unsaturated alcohols, the bromotridecenol and its isomer with double bond on different position (a total of 20.6 mg/100 g of dry algae, 5.0% of identified compounds); one alkane, the heptadecane (atotal of 11.2 mg/100 g of dry algae, 2.7% of identified compounds); and two monoacylglycerols-erols, the monopalmitin and the monomyristin (a total of 8.85 mg/100 g of dry algae, 2.1% of identified compounds). The halogenated compounds and fatty acids are the two major compound families in the extract, being the 1,4-dibromobuten-1-ol and the palmitic acid the two most abundant identified compounds (155 and 83.4 mg/100 g of dry algae, respectively) and the myristic acid the third most abundant compound (23.5 mg/100 g of dry algae). The unsaturated fatty acids family, mainly 9Z-octadecenoic acid (14.4 mg/100 g of dry algae), corresponds to nearly 6% of the identified compounds. As it is already known that no completely satisfactory method allows the analysis of the entire range of halogenated compounds of the _Asparagopsis_ species, as they have a wide range of solubilities and boiling points [44], the work presented here is innovative as it allows the identification of a variety of lipophilic and halogenated aromatic compounds structurally distinct from those identified so far in _A. armata_. Considering what is already known about the ecotoxicological effect of several halogenated compounds identified in _Asparagopsis_ species [11; 45], which give them a competitive advantage, and the commercial value of several scaffold phytochemicals identified in this species, the results obtained herein open new perspectives for valuing the _A. armata_ as a source of halogenated compounds and fatty acids with high biotechnological and economic potential. Valuing invasive species as a source of value-added natural products is an approach that promotes biodiversity conservation and ecosystem sustainability. It increases the algae harvest, allowing the assisted recolonization of free space by native species, because it increases the demand for existing and available biomass. Conceptualization, D.C.G.A.P., M.C.B. and A.M.L.S.