Preliminary Phytochemical and GC-MS Analysis of Marine Seaweed-Acoathophora deilei (Red alga)

Abstract

Background: Seaweeds (Marine macro algae) are multicellular marine organism and are vital constituents of the of marine ecosystem, which are abundant in the coastal areas of the world. They are tremendous source of many bioactive metabolites and have been shown to exhibit a wide range of therapeutic properties, including anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. Several Asian cultures have a strong tradition of using different varieties of seaweed extensively in cooking as well as in herbal medicines preparations. As such, seaweeds have been used to treat a wide variety of health conditions such as cancer, digestive problems, and renal disorders. These plants contain important phytochemical constituents and have various potential biological activities. References regarding the use of algae in Ayurveda and Siddha system of medicine has been reported since time immemorial, but their phytochemical properties have not been reported. Aim: To identify the phytochemical constituents present in the Acoathophora deilei (Red alage) using Preliminary phytochemical and GC-MS analysis. Methods: The shade-dried of red algae were extracted with methanol and the crude methanolic extract was subjected to GC-MS analysis to identify the various bioactive components Results: Phytochemical investigations suggests that the Acoathophora deilei showed the presence of phytochemicals like alkaloids, phytosterols, flavonoids and diterpenes, which may contribute to its biological activities. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of 28 different compounds. The main chemical constituents found in high percentage are Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 2-ethyl butyric acid octadecyl ester, hexadecanoic acid, 9-octadecanoic acid methyl ester and 1,2 – Benzene dicarboxylic acid. Conclusion: Thus, the present analytical study of Acoathophora deilei on phytochemical and GC-MS analysis provides an important novel information to support further ongoing studies to evaluate structure of bioactive compound and its pharmacological activities.