Phytochemical Analysis and Molecular Identification of Green Macroalgae Caulerpa spp. from Bali, Indonesia

Abstract

The studies of the Bulung Boni and Bulung Anggur (Caulerpa spp.) species and secondary metabolites are still very limited. Proper identification will support various aspects, such as cultivation, utilization, and economic interests. Moreover, understanding the secondary metabolites will assist in developing algae-based products. This study aimed to identify these indigenous Caulerpa algae and analyze their bioactive components. The tufA sequence was employed as a molecular marker in DNA barcoding, and its bioactive components were identified using the GC-MS method. The phylogenetic tree was generated in MEGA 11 using the maximum likelihood method, and the robustness of the tree was evaluated using bootstrapping with 1000 replicates. This study revealed that Bulung Boni is strongly connected to Caulerpa cylindracea. However, Bulung Anggur shows no close relationship to other Caulerpa species. GC-MS analysis of ethanolic extracts of Bulung Boni and Bulung Anggur showed the presence of 11 and 13 compounds, respectively. The majority of the compounds found in these algae have been shown to possess biological properties, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammation, and antidiabetic. Further study is necessary to compare the data obtained using different molecular markers in DNA barcoding, and to elucidate other undisclosed compounds in these Caulerpa algae.

Phytochemical Screening and Acute Toxicity Test of Caulerpa lentillifera J. Agardh Infusion Extract on Mice (Mus musculus L.)

“…Subsequently, they were subjected to a two-day natural air-drying in a shaded environment, followed by a seven-day drying in an oven set at a temperature of 45ºC. The dried C. lentillifera was ground into a fine powder using a sieve (Wirawan et al, 2022). The infusion extract was prepared using the infusion extraction method with concentrations of 2.25% w/v and 9% w/v.…”

Antibacterial activity of crude extracts Ulva lactuca against Staphyloccocus aureus and Propionibacterium acne

“…Green algae have the ability to produce secondary metabolites due to the extreme environmental conditions of algae, such as high salinity or defense against predators. Generally, the chemical compounds produced by green algae are terpenoids and aromatic compounds that have antibacterial activity [3,4].…”