Publicação
Screening for antioxidant activity in extracts obtained from extremophile microalgae
| Resumo: | Both in the health sector or food industry there is a persistent focus on the search for antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective and anticarcinogenic substances. In the attempt to prevent or control some pathology conditions related to oxidative stress damage industry has been exploring the use of natural antioxidant substances capable of protect cells and organisms from the damage caused by pro-oxidant factors. Aiming to delay the natural aging process, to achieve a superior resilience and cellular survival skills, industry initiated a constant demand for antioxidant substances. Natural products often unveil new bioactive molecules with a promising health and industrial potential application. One possible natural source of bioactive antioxidant metabolites is extremophile lichens and their microalgae, that have been gaining investigators’ and industry’s attention. Microalgae’s bioactivities explored so far are relevant to different target markets, such as health, cosmetics and functional foods. Innovative biotechnological approaches are nowadays being studied to optimize the production, extraction and gathering of those bioactive molecules. For this work and in the attempt of studying antioxidant potential activity, several lichens specimens were identified and collected from different environments. This study focused on six lichen species, collected from different extremophile environments. An improved isolation method (differential centrifugation) was implemented and a cell disruption technique, bead milling, was used in order the cells rupture. A basic screening of microalgae extracts was assayed for antioxidant activity to determine the specimens of major interest for these properties. Fruticose lichens were identified as the best sources for bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. Comparing the results of FRAP, ORAC and ABTS antioxidant assays, it seems reasonable to infer that fruticose lichens LFR2, LFR3 and foliose LFO2 and LFO1 are potential good sources of bioactive molecules with antioxidant relevant potential. Our results demonstrated that algae extracts has antioxidant in vitro activity, suggesting that extremophile microalgae may represent a promising source of bioactive molecules for antioxidant therapeutic applications. |
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| Autores principais: | Sousa, Carla Andreia Machado de |
| Assunto: | Lichens Bioactive compounds Biotechnological challenges Extremophile Microalgae Líquenes Compostos bioactivos Biotecnologia Extremófilos Microalgas Ciências Naturais::Ciências Biológicas |
| Ano: | 2018 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade do Minho |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Resumo: | Both in the health sector or food industry there is a persistent focus on the search for antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective and anticarcinogenic substances. In the attempt to prevent or control some pathology conditions related to oxidative stress damage industry has been exploring the use of natural antioxidant substances capable of protect cells and organisms from the damage caused by pro-oxidant factors. Aiming to delay the natural aging process, to achieve a superior resilience and cellular survival skills, industry initiated a constant demand for antioxidant substances. Natural products often unveil new bioactive molecules with a promising health and industrial potential application. One possible natural source of bioactive antioxidant metabolites is extremophile lichens and their microalgae, that have been gaining investigators’ and industry’s attention. Microalgae’s bioactivities explored so far are relevant to different target markets, such as health, cosmetics and functional foods. Innovative biotechnological approaches are nowadays being studied to optimize the production, extraction and gathering of those bioactive molecules. For this work and in the attempt of studying antioxidant potential activity, several lichens specimens were identified and collected from different environments. This study focused on six lichen species, collected from different extremophile environments. An improved isolation method (differential centrifugation) was implemented and a cell disruption technique, bead milling, was used in order the cells rupture. A basic screening of microalgae extracts was assayed for antioxidant activity to determine the specimens of major interest for these properties. Fruticose lichens were identified as the best sources for bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. Comparing the results of FRAP, ORAC and ABTS antioxidant assays, it seems reasonable to infer that fruticose lichens LFR2, LFR3 and foliose LFO2 and LFO1 are potential good sources of bioactive molecules with antioxidant relevant potential. Our results demonstrated that algae extracts has antioxidant in vitro activity, suggesting that extremophile microalgae may represent a promising source of bioactive molecules for antioxidant therapeutic applications. |
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