TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENTS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF KOREAN SEAWEED EXTRACTS

Abstract

Seaweeds are used in many maritime countries as a source of food and have been applied to industrial products because they contain both essential minerals and various functional polysaccharides and proteins. Recently, seaweed resources are used as the raw materials for food and cosmetics due to their antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and have been studied as new sources of a variety of compounds showing biological activities of potential medicinal value. We prepared seaweed extracts from seven edible seaweeds using various solvents and determined total phenolic contents. The antioxidant activities of seaweed extracts based on DPPH radical scavenging activity and superoxide anion scavenging activity were investigated and optimal condition for extraction of antioxidative compounds from seaweeds was examined. Specifically anti-arterosclerosis and anti-diabetic effects of seaweed extracts showing the high antioxidative activity were investigated in vitro system. The results presented an increase in antioxidative property with increasing content of phenolic compounds and suggested that seaweeds can be considered as a potential source for the extraction of phenolic compounds, which might be used as natural antioxidant resources or raw material of food supplement.