UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) isolated from Korean benthic animals and sea weeds.

Abstract

Many marine organisms contain a class of UV absorbing compounds known as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) which may provide protection from the deleterious effects of solar UV radiation. Specimens including several sea weeds such as Porphyra spp. and benthic animals such as Halocynthia rorentzi were collected from Korean ocean. Using a solvent extraction, ODS filtration, carbon column chromatography, and reverse-phase HPLC, a series of MAA compounds were isolated and identified with H-NMR and aminoacid analysis. The most abundant MAA compound found in H. rorentzi was Mycosporin-serine and Mycosporin-methionine.