The main goal of this study was to assess the bioactive and polysaccharide compositions, along with the antioxidant and antibacterial potentials, of five seaweeds collected from the northeastern coast of Algeria. Through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, the study investigated the elemental composition of these seaweeds and their chemical structure. In addition, this study compared and identified the biochemical makeup of the collected seaweed by using cutting-edge methods like tandem mass spectrometry and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, and it searched for new sources of nutritionally valuable compounds. According to the study’s findings, Sargassum muticum contains the highest levels of extractable bioactive compounds, showing a phenolic compound content of 235.67 ± 1.13 µg GAE·mg⁻¹ and a total sugar content of 46.43 ± 0.12% DW. Both S. muticum and Dictyota dichotoma have high concentrations of good polyphenols, such as vanillin and chrysin. Another characteristic that sets brown algae apart is their composition. It showed that Cladophora laetevirens has an extracted bioactive compound content of 12.07% and a high capacity to scavenge ABTS⁺ radicals with a value of 78.65 ± 0.96 µg·mL⁻¹, indicating high antioxidant activity. In terms of antibacterial activity, S. muticum seaweed showed excellent growth inhibition. In conclusion, all five species of seaweed under investigation exhibited unique strengths, highlighting the variety of advantageous characteristics of these seaweeds, especially S. muticum.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Antioxidant activity, Bioactive compounds, Elementary analysis, Nutritional and phytochemical composition, Seaweed.

Correction for ‘Enhanced environmental remediation through hybrid adsorption-photocatalysis using ZnO/TiO ₂ -CaAlg composite catalysts’ by Nesrine Ammouchi et al. , RSC Adv. , 2026, 16 , 8226–8242, https://doi.org/10.1039/D5RA09465H.