Bio profiling of brackish water alga Gracilaria tenuistipitata C.F.Chang & B.-M.Xia – an indigenous species from Andhra Pradesh, East Coast, India

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gracilaria is one of the commercially important genera for the superior quality of phycocolloids, and high nutritional and therapeutic values. The present study is subjected to the bio-profile of the brackish water species Gracilaria tenuistipitata from the shoreline of Andhra Pradesh, East Coast, India. Proximate analysis of this species contains a high amount of carbohydrate (58.19 ± 3.52%), ash (32.64 ± 3.21%), moisture (5.84 ± 3.88%) and fiber (10.35 ± 0.595). The preliminary analysis of the algal extract confirmed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, terpenoids, phenols, quinones and anthraquinones. The existence of important bioactive compounds such as ethyl oleate (18.45%), ethyl palmitate ((17%), ethyl linolenate (16.34%), phytol (12.46%) and clionasterol (8.56%) were also been confirmed in G. tenuistipitata by GCMS technique. The antibacterial potentiality of this species recorded the maximum zone of inhibition against E. coli (18.83 ± 0.6 mm), P. syringae (18 ± 1 mm) and S. aureus (17.33 ± 0.66 mm) at the concentration of 50 µg/ml. Further, this species exhibited a significant effect of antioxidant (IC50 = 24.08 ± 1.32) and anti-cancerous (IC50 = 39.90 ± 1.60 µg/ ml) activities against human lung cancer cells A459. Thus, G. tenuistipitata could be a promising element and alternative source for the potential activities.