Radical Scavenging Potential of Hydrophilic Phlorotannins of Hizikia fusiformis

Hizikia fusiformis is well known edible brown seaweed both in Korea and Japan. It has been intensively studied due to its pronounced health benefits. In this study, the radical scavenging (antioxidative) activities of its hydrophilic phlorotannin constituents were studied. An aqueous extract/original extract (OE) of H. fusiformis was initially prepared with heat, enzymes and pH control treatments. Then the original extract was further fractionated (with methylene chloride and methanol) and crude hydrophilic phlorotannin extract (CHPE) was prepared. The radical scavenging activities of both OE and CHPE were determined by using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrophotometric assays such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl and alkyl radical assays. The CHPE reported significantly (p < 0.05) higher total phenolic (phlorotannins) content (1.23 mg ${\cdot}ml^{-1}$) than that of the OE (0.21 mg ${\cdot}ml^{-1}$). Both OE and CHPE have reported good radical scavenging activities and those activities were dose-dependent. The CHPE have demonstrated significantly higher radical scavenging activities than that of the OE. In comparison, the DPPH radical (6 $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ M) scavenging activities of all the CHPE concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg ${\cdot}ml^{-1}$) tested were significantly higher (37.3, 78.2 and 91.6%, respectively) than that of the OE counterparts (11.4, 34.6 and 61.7%, respectively). Alkyl radical scavenging percentages of CHPE at 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mg${\cdot}ml^{-1}$ were significantly higher (34.3, 69.2, 80.4 and 88.7%, respectively) than that of the OE (16.6, 41.4, 62.3 and 77.4%, respectively). The percentages of hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of CHPE at the concentrations of 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg ${\cdot}ml^{-1}$ were 32.5, 59.4 and 84.2 % respectively. Moreover, the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of OE was quite lower than that of the CHPE. Therefore, these results suggest that the hydrophilic phlorotannins of H. fusiformis are potential radical scavengers thus, a great source of antioxidative nutraceuticles.