Phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of chloroform extract from red seaweed: A GC-MS and DPPH Assay-Based Study

Patil, Swapnil B. and Nakade, D. B. (2025) Phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of chloroform extract from red seaweed: A GC-MS and DPPH Assay-Based Study. World Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 22 (1). pp. 310-320. ISSN 2582-5542

This report investigated the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant capability of the chloroform extract derived from red sea algae. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) study showed the existence of 19 metabolites, with citronellal (64.37%), gamma-terpinene (11.42%), (+)-2-bornanone (8.02%), linalool (3.04%), humulene (2.16%), and caryophyllene (2.08%) being the prominent components. These metabolites have been reported to possess various pharmacological functions, comprising antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. The antioxidant properties of the extract were examined utilizing the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. The extract demonstrated dose-dependent antioxidant activity, with 63.21% inhibition at 1000 μg concentration, proportionate to the standard ascorbic acid. The antioxidant activity observed in this study may be attributed to secondary metabolites, such as bromophenols and chlorotannins, which are known to possess significant antioxidant properties. The results emphasize the ability of red sea algae as an effective fount of bioactive compounds with diverse therapeutic applications. The identified compounds, particularly citronellal, terpinen-4-ol, gamma-terpinene, linalool, humulene, and caryophyllene, have the potential to be utilized in different industries, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and food preservation. More research is needed to understand the structure-activity correlations of these molecules, examine their synergistic effects, and create innovative drug delivery domains to improve accessibility and specific administration.