Antioxidant properties of some filamentous green algae (Chaetomorpha Genus)

Abstract

The antioxidant activity and the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were quantified in the met hanolic extracts of four Chaetomorpha species including C. aerea , C. crassa , C. linum and C. brachygona . Eight samples of Chaetomorpha plants were collected from five locations along th e northern coasts of the Persian Gulf in south of Iran from December 2010 until October 2011. Methano lic extracts of the seaweeds were assessed for thei r antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging assay. C. linum showed highest antioxidant potential with a relatively low IC 50 (1.484 ± 0.168 mg mL -1 ), the highest flavonoid content (18.177 ± 2.238 mg RE g -1 ) and a relatively high content of phenolics (2.895 ± 0.415 mg GAE g -1 ) in comparison with the other species. C. crassa, which was collected from two different areas, showed lowest antioxidant activity and lowest phenolics and flavonoid contents than other species. Results revealed that IC 50 , total phenolics and flavonoid content were influe nced by the time of collection and location. Also there were po sitive correlations between the phenolic and flavon oid contents with DPPH radical scavenging activity (p<0.01). The results suggested that some of these filamentous g reen seaweeds possessed antioxidant potential, which cou ld be considered for future applications in medicin e, food or cosmetic industries.