Biochemical evaluation of antioxidant activity in extracts and polysaccharide fractions of seaweeds

In the present study ethanol and water extracts of 15 seaweeds, Dictyota dichotoma var. velutricata, Dictyota indica, Iyengaria stellata, Padina pavonia, Sargassum swartzii, Sargassum variegatum, Stoechospermum marginatum, Stokeyia indica, Jolyna laminarioides, Caulerpa taxifolia, Halimeda tuna, Ulva fasciata, Ulva lactuca, Solieria robusta, and Melanothamnus afaqhusainii, were evaluated for their antioxidant potential by ABTS, superoxide and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. The activity was concentration dependent and the variation in antioxidant potential was also observed by different assays in both extracts. Ethanol extract of D. dichotoma var. velutricata, D. indica and S. marginatum demonstrated highest activity by TAC assay. The antioxidant potential in organic solvent fractions of seaweeds namely P. pavonia, S. swartzii, S. marginatum and M. afaqhusainii was also determined and chloroform fraction of all the four seaweeds showed highest activity by superoxide assay. Antioxidant activity of extracted fractions of polysaccharides from S. indica, C. taxifolia and D. dichotoma var. velutricata was also evaluated by superoxide method. Polysaccharide fractions of S. indica obtained from HCl (at 70 C and room temperature) and water extract demonstrated highest activity respectively. All the polysaccharide fractions of C. taxifolia showed excellent activity except CaClF 70 °C . Polysaccharide fractions of D. dichotoma var. velutricata also exhibited very good activity.