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. 2015 Dec 11;13(12):7339-56.
doi: 10.3390/md13127069.

Carotenoids, Phenolic Compounds and Tocopherols Contribute to the Antioxidative Properties of Some Microalgae Species Grown on Industrial Wastewater

Hamed Safafar  1 , Jonathan van Wagenen  2 , Per Møller  3 , Charlotte Jacobsen  4
Affiliations

Carotenoids, Phenolic Compounds and Tocopherols Contribute to the Antioxidative Properties of Some Microalgae Species Grown on Industrial Wastewater

Hamed Safafar et al. Mar Drugs. .

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the potential of microalgae species grown on industrial waste water as a new source of natural antioxidants. Six microalgae from different classes, including Phaeodactylum sp. (Bacillariophyceae), Nannochloropsis sp. (Eustigmatophyceae), Chlorella sp., Dunaniella sp., and Desmodesmus sp. (Chlorophyta), were screened for their antioxidant properties using different in vitro assays. Natural antioxidants, including pigments, phenolics, and tocopherols, were measured in methanolic extracts of microalgae biomass. Highest and lowest concentrations of pigments, phenolic compounds, and tocopherols were found in Desmodesmus sp. and Phaeodactylum tricornuotom microalgae species, respectively. The results of each assay were correlated to the content of natural antioxidants in microalgae biomass. Phenolic compounds were found as major contributors to the antioxidant activity in all antioxidant tests while carotenoids were found to contribute to the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, ferrous reduction power (FRAP), and ABTS-radical scavenging capacity activity. Desmodesmus sp. biomass represented a potentially rich source of natural antioxidants, such as carotenoids (lutein), tocopherols, and phenolic compounds when cultivated on industrial waste water as the main nutrient source.

Keywords: DPPH; FRAP; antioxidants; carotenoids; microalgae; phenolic compounds; tocopherols; wastewater.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Evaluation of extraction yield of different solvents for phenolic compounds and pigments; and (b) evaluation of effects of different solvents on carotenoids content and composition.
Figure 2
Figure 2
HPLC chromatograms of (A) phenolic compounds; and (B) tocopherols and (C) carotenoids.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PLS coefficient plots. Bars represent the standardized correlation coefficients of predictor variables (phenolic compounds, tocopherols, and carotenoids) for each response variable (antioxidative assay).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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