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Fatty acid composition and biological activities of Isochrysis galbana T-ISO, Tetraselmis sp. and Scenedesmus sp.: possible application in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries

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Abstract

Organic and water extracts of Isochrysis galbana T-ISO (=Tisochrysis lutea), Tetraselmis sp. and Scenedesmus sp. were evaluated for their antioxidant activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines, and fatty acids and total phenolic content (TPC). I. galbana T-ISO had the highest TPC (3.18 mg GAE g−1) and radical scavenging activity, with an IC50 value of 1.9 mg mL−1 on the acetone extract. The extracts exhibited a higher ability to chelate Fe2+ than Cu2+, and the maximum Fe2+ chelating capacity was observed in the hexane extract of Scenedesmus sp. (IC50=0.73 mg mL−1) and Scenedesmus sp. (IC50 = 0.73 mg mL−1). The highest ability to inhibit AChE was observed in the water and ether extracts of Scenedesmus sp., with IC50 values of 0.11 and 0.15 mg mL−1, respectively, and in the water extract of I. galbana (IC50 = 0.16 mg mL−1). The acetone extract of I. galbana T-ISO significantly reduced the viability of human hepatic carcinoma HepG2 cells (IC50 = 81.3 μg mL−1) as compared to the non-tumour murine stromal S17 cell line, and displayed a selectivity index of 3.1 at the highest concentration tested (125 μg mL−1). All species presented a highly unsaturated fatty acids profile. Results suggest that these microalgae, particularly I. galbana T-ISO, could be a source of biomolecules for the pharmaceutical industry and the production of functional food ingredients and can be considered as an advantageous alternative to several currently produced microalgae.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the SEABIOMED project (PTDC/MAR/103957/2008), funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the Portuguese National Budget. LC is an FCT post-doctoral research fellow (SFRH/BPD/65116/2009). CVD is an FCT doctoral research student (SFRH/BD/81425/2011). All the algal species used in this study were provided by NECTON S.A. (Portugal). The authors would like to dedicate this article to the memory of Fernando Soares, whose untimely passing remind us all of the pressing need for novel medical treatments for cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Ed. 7, Campus of Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Luísa Custódio, Fernando Soares, Hugo Pereira, Luísa Barreira, Catarina Vizetto-Duarte, Maria João Rodrigues & João Varela

  2. Faculty of Sciences, Center of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, Ed. C8, Piso 5, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal

    Amélia Pilar Rauter

  3. Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Alberício

  4. CIBER-BBN, Networking Centre on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Alberício

  5. School of Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4001, Durban, South Africa

    Fernando Alberício

  6. Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Alberício

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  1. Luísa Custódio
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Custódio, L., Soares, F., Pereira, H. et al. Fatty acid composition and biological activities of Isochrysis galbana T-ISO, Tetraselmis sp. and Scenedesmus sp.: possible application in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries. J Appl Phycol 26, 151–161 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-0098-0

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