Antioxidant Activities of Red Algae from Jeju Island

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of red algae in Jeju Island. The algal extracts were obtained with MeOH and fresh water at 20 and 70°C, and screened for antioxidant activities using hydroxyl radical (HO·), superoxide anion (O2?), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and DPPH free radical scavenging assays. Among them, Gracilaria verrucosa methanolic extract at 20°C (20ME, 96.85%), G. textorii aqueous extract at 20°C (20AE, 88.01%), Grateloupia filicina 20AE (85.35%), and Polysiphonia japonica 20ME (94.92%) exhibited the highest scavenging activities against HO·, O2?, H2O2, and DPPH free radicals, respectively. Moreover, P. japonica (20ME and 70ME) is correlated between DPPH free radical scavenging activity and polyphenolic contents. These results indicate that some red algae in Jeju Island could be potential candidates for development of antioxidants.