BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS, PHENOL CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF TROPICAL SEAGRASS Halodule pinifolia

Abstract

Intertidal seagrasses are exposed to a high level of sunlight, temperature, and desiccation daily, which can lead to increase in reactive radical species producing.  In order to survive, they may produce some bioactive compounds and may change the content of nutrient and non-nutrient. In this experiment, tropical seagrass Halodule pinifolia collected from the coastal area of Pangumbahan Sukabumi Indonesa was evaluated their potential nutritional value and natural antioxidant compound. Fresh seagrass H. pinifolia contained ash, protein and fat of 14.89, 9.74 and 2.13 g/100 g dry matter; whereas the amounts of soluble dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber were 12.84 and 27.23 g/100 g dry matter, respectively. The highest content of total phenol was found in ethyl acetate extract (0.31 mg GAE/g dry matter), followed by methanol and hexane extracts of 0.18 and 0.12 mg GAE/g dry matter, respectively.  The extract of ethyl acetate also had the highest activity on DPPH-scavenging measured by IC50 value of 214.38 ppm in compared to methanol and hexane extracts.  All of extracts contained bioactive compounds of steroid, flavonoid and phenol hydroquinone; whereas triterpenoid was only found in the extract of hexane.