Identification of chlorophyll molecules with peroxyl radical scavenger capacity in microalgae Phormidium autumnale using ultrasound-assisted extraction

Abstract

The identification of chlorophyll molecules with peroxyl radical scavenger capacity in microalgae Phormidium autumnale was determined. The ultrasound-assisted extraction was utilized for obtaining the chlorophyll compounds from biomass. A total of eleven molecules were separated in microalgae chlorophyll extract, with pheophytin a' (371μg·g^-1) and chlorophyll a (159.3μg·g^-1) as the major ones. The chlorophyll extract was shown to be a potent scavenger of peroxyl radical, being almost 200 times more potent than α-tocopherol. These facts suggest the microalgae Phormidium autumnale as potential source of bioactive tetrapyrrole compounds.

Keywords: Bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity; Chlorophylls; HPLC-PDA-MS/MS; Microalgae/cyanobacteria.