Algae. 2010; 25(1): 45-56.
Antioxidant properties of tidal pool microalgae, Halochlorococcum porphyrae and Oltamannsiellopsis unicellularis from Jeju Island, Korea
Seung-Hong Lee1, Joon Baek Lee2, Ki-Wan Lee1 and You-Jin Jeon1,3,*
1Department of Marine life Science, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Korea
2Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Korea
3Marine and Environmental Research Institute, Jeju National University, Jeju 695-814, Korea
ABSTRACT
In this study, we assessed the antioxidant properties of tidal pool microalgae, Halochlorococcum porphyrae and Oltamannsiellopsis unicellularis, from Jeju Island, Korea. Specifically, the antioxidant activity of fractions isolated from 80% methanol extract, and digests produced from five proteases and carbohydrases, were investigated. Almost all the fractions and the 80% methanol extract exhibited higher effects on 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest superoxide anion scavenging activity, while both n-hexane and chloroform fractions exhibited higher H2O2 scavenging activity. Among the enzymatic digests from H. porphyrae and O. unicellularis, all the digests exhibited remarkable DPPH scavenging activities. In nitric oxide inhibition, all the digests recorded significantly higher effects than those of the commercial antioxidants (p < 0.05). Flavozyme and Neutrase digests from H. porphyrae, and Termamyl and Alcalase digests from O. unicellularis, showed significant effects in metal chelating. Lipid peroxidation was significantly inhibited in the ethyl acetate fraction, in the Celluclast and Protamex digests from H. porphyrae, and in the chloroform fraction from O. unicellularis. These findings suggest that the two tidal pool microalgae tested in this study are rich in potential antioxidative compounds, the specific properties of which can be considered for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Keywords :
antioxidant; enzymatic digests; Halochlorococcum porphyrae; Oltamannsiellopsis unicellularis; organic fractions; tidal pool microalgae
