Sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera J. Agardh, Chlorophyta) for human use: Structured review on recent research in cultivation, nutritional value, and post-harvest management

Abstract Seaweeds are a major contributor to global marine aquaculture production, with the biomass being mainly used, among others, for human nutrition, pharmaceutics, and cosmetics. However, green seaweeds severely underrepresented, compared red brown macroalgae. Caulerpa lentillifera (known as “sea grapes” or “green caviar”) is an edible, seaweed distinctive texture various nutritional benefits. In this review, all articles on sea grapes published between 1900 October 2022 found in scientific citation databases Scopus Web of Science (search string: “caulerpa” AND “lentillifera”) were grouped by research topic intended application following PRISMA approach. 51% 130 included review focused “Biochemical composition”, followed “Water treatment” (18%) “Ecophysiology” (15%). The most prominent was “Pharmaceutics”, “Cultivation” “Fundamental research”. order provide knowledge base researchers practitioners C. aquaculture, that simultaneously under one topics treatment”, applications “Cultivation”, “Nutritional value” “Post-harvest” summarized more detail. Light management grapes, their use high-value co-culture species capacity bioremediate nutrients, well short shelf-life identified important areas interest. assessment revealed several gaps, example need intra-species comparisons biochemical composition across spatial temporal scales.