Polar Lipids Composition, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Atlantic Red Seaweed Grateloupia turuturu

Abstract

Grateloupia turuturu Yamada, 1941, is a red seaweed widely used for food in Japan and Korea which was recorded on the Atlantic Coast of Europe about twenty years ago. This seaweed presents eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in its lipid fraction, a feature that sparked the interest on its potential applications. In seaweeds, PUFAs are mostly esterified to polar lipids, emerging as healthy phytochemicals. However, to date, these biomolecules are still unknown for G. turuturu. The present work aimed to identify the polar lipid profile of G. turuturu, using modern lipidomics approaches based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The health benefits of polar lipids were identified by health lipid indices and the assessment of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The polar lipids profile identified from G. turuturu included 205 lipid species distributed over glycolipids, phospholipids, betaine lipids and phosphosphingolipids, which featured a high number of lipid species with EPA and PUFAs. The nutritional value of G. turuturu has been shown by its protein content, fatty acyl composition and health lipid indices, thus confirming G. turuturu as an alternative source of protein and lipids. Some of the lipid species assigned were associated to biological activity, as polar lipid extracts showed antioxidant activity evidenced by free radical scavenging potential for the 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS●+) radical (IC50 ca. 130.4 μg mL−1) and for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH●) radical (IC25 ca. 129.1 μg mL−1) and anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme (IC50 ca. 33 µg mL−1). Both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were detected using a low concentration of extracts. This integrative approach contributes to increase the knowledge of G. turuturu as a species capable of providing nutrients and bioactive molecules with potential applications in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.

The Red Seaweed Grateloupia turuturu Prevents Epidermal Dysplasia in HPV16-Transgenic Mice

“…In line with this, a G. turuturu batch from exactly the same site (i.e., Aguda beach, NW coast of Portugal) as that used in the present study, and harvested in the same month (i.e., September), showed favorable bioactivities and proved to be rich in bioactive compounds, in particular mycosporine-like amino acids such as shinorine, palythine, porphyra-334 and asterina-330 [26]. Therefore, it can be assumed that the current G. turuturu batch yields the same (or very similar) phytochemical profile as that described in the abovementioned studies [25,26].…”

“…The phytochemical profile of a G. turuturu batch harvested in the same geographic area as that of the present study (i.e., the NW coast of Portugal, at a distance of approximately 40 km) was previously studied using liquid chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and was characterized by an abundance of polar lipids (phospholipids, glycolipids, betaine lipids and phosphingolipids) with important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [25]. In line with this, a G. turuturu batch from exactly the same site (i.e., Aguda beach, NW coast of Portugal) as that used in the present study, and harvested in the same month (i.e., September), showed favorable bioactivities and proved to be rich in bioactive compounds, in particular mycosporine-like amino acids such as shinorine, palythine, porphyra-334 and asterina-330 [26].…”

Lipid Profile, Antioxidant and Antihypertensive Activity, and Computational Molecular Docking of Diatom Fatty Acids as ACE Inhibitors

“…This might be because Trolox is a single compound acting as radical scavengers, while FAs contained both active and inactive forms. However, our results agreed with previous studies on algal lipids obtained from Grateloupia turuturu , Schizochytrium sp., Nannochloropsis oceanica, Chlorella vulgaris, and Acutodesmus obliquus with IC50 for DPPH scavenging assays of 0.2 to 30 mg/mL [ 36 , 37 ], and ABTS IC50 values of 0.1 to 80 mg/mL [ 6 , 36 , 38 ]. Results indicated that the lipid extracts of Ano and Rho had reducing ability to stabilize unstable DPPH free radicals by converting them to a more stable form [ 15 ] and reducing the ABTS free radical through the oxidation reaction [ 6 ].…”

Applications of lipidomics in marine organisms: progress, challenges and future perspectives

“…Some studies have evaluated the bioactivity of lipid extracts from macro and microalgae 89,90 without lipid characterization. On the other hand, total lipid extracts of algae have been evaluated using antioxidant, 8,58,59,61,63,65,66,91 anti-inflammatory, 24,59,88,[92][93][94][95][96] antiproliferative, 88 antitumor, 97 antiatherogenic, 99 anti-viral 98,100-102 assays followed by characterization of the bioactive extract by LC-MS or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). These studies identified molecular species of GL, PL, BL and galactosylceramides as bioactive compounds.…”