The results of the study of fucoxanthine content in the six common and abundantly grown species of brown algae: Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngb.) Link, Petalonia zosterifolia (Reinke) Kuntze, Punctaria latifolia Grev., Desmarestia viridis (O.F. Muller) J.V. Lamour., Ectocarpus siliculosus (Dillwyn) Lyngb. from Odessa Bay and Cystoseira barbata (Stackh.) C. Agardh from the Tiligul Estuary of the Black Sea are presented. Algae-macrophytes are a very important component of marine ecosystems. They are used in the food industry and also in agriculture as fertilizers and feed additives. The global algae industry annually processes up to 8 million tons of raw macrophyte biomass. Among processed products, polysaccharides (agar, carrageenan, fucoidan, alginates) are of great importance. They are used in the food industry, medicine, pharmaceuticals, cosmetology, etc. Biologically active substances of algae include pigments used as food coloring and anti-oxidants, as well as medicinal raw materials. Fucoxanthin is the predominant pigment of brown algae. It is used in the treatment of tumor diseases; it also has anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and anti-oxidant properties, stabilizes carbohydrate metabolism and the cardiovascular system. The pigments were extracted with 96% ethanol. Separation was carried out by thin-layer chromatography on a silofol plate. The pigment concentration was determined by the optical density at the appropriate wavelength and pigment extinction coefficient in this solvent. On average, the content of fucoxanthin in the studied species of algae varies in the range of 0.55-4.11 mg/g of dry biomass. Its smallest content was observed in D. viridis, the largest -in P. latifoli. Seasonal variations in pigment content were noted: in most species, it increased from February to April. Brown algae samples were taken at two stations: in a relatively clean area and in an area with high levels of pollution near the sewage discharge of the biological treatment plant. It was shown that with an increase in the level of eutrophication of water, the content of fucoxanthin in algae decreases. P. latifolia, having the highest content of fucoxanthin among studied species of the brown algae, is a promising object of biotechnology.
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