Antioxidant capacity on algae extracts

JUÁREZ, A., ROCCHETTA, I., BARBICH, M., LORENTI, A., CONFORTI, V., RÍOS DE MOLINA, M.C.

Oviedo, España

Congreso; Fourth European Phycologycal Congress; 2007

British Phycological Society

Some species of microalgae present a high antioxidant levels, being a good alternative to the antioxidant supplements of animal or vegetable origin. The objective of this work was to study the antioxidant capacity of different microalgae specie extracts, using 2 strains of Chlorophyta (Chlorella kessleri and C. vulgaris) and 4 strains of Euglenophyta (Euglena gracilis UTEX and E. gracilis Matanza, both strains growth in autotrophic and heterotrophic conditions). The protect effect of the extracts was analyzed on two model systems. Model 1 used mitochondrial fraction of rat liver homogenate, which was previously exposed to Fe-Ascorbic, and model 2 used primary cultures of pig hepatocytes, stressed by hexachlorobenzene (1,75 µM HCB). In order to analyze the protection effect, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined as lipid peroxidation index, in presence and absence of the algae extracts. In model 1, the protection was 20% to 60% for all the assayed strains, being C. kessleri the most effective (62% of protection), in opposite to C. vulgaris which had the less percentage. Whereas in model 2, the protection was 100% for 5 strains (E. gracilis UTEX and Matanza, autotrophic and heterotrophic strains and C. kessleri). Enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant compounds, in the different algae extracts, were studied. The greater levels of carotenes and glutathione (GSH), and the higher activity of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) were in concordance with the strain, which had the greater protection percentage. 0.65±0,06 µg carotenes/ml in C. kessleri vs. 0,03±0,004 µg carotenes/ml in C. vulgaris; 2.9±0,09 µmol GSH/ml in C. kessleri vs. 0,053±0,001 µmol GSH/ml in C. vulgaris; 10.45±0,16 units SOD/mg prot in C. kessleri vs. 1,02±0,17 units SOD/mg prot in C. vulgaris. These results would suggest the high potential of using microalgae like antioxidant compound source, leading a therapeutic application in different pathologies.