COMPARISON OF SEAWEEDS SULFATED POLYSACCHARIDES AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTION TO THOSE OF Halymenia pseudofloresia

Taxonomic value of seaweeds sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) and antioxidant potential for genus Halymenia lack of studies. SPs from Caulerpa cupressoides, C. racemosa, C. prolifera, Botryocladia occidentalis, Gracilaria birdiae, H. pseudofloresia and Solieria filiformis were analyzed for their yields and structural features; and H. pseudofloresia SPs as antioxidants by DPPH, total antioxidant capacity and ferrous ion chelating (FIC) assays against BHT, ascorbic acid and EDTA, respectively. Papain extraction yielded (p < 0.001) from 0.42 ± 0.08% (C. prolifera) to 52.82 ± 6.16% (H. pseudofloresia) of crude SPs. Infrared specroscopy revealed ulvan (Caulerpa spp.), unrelated to agaran/carrageenan (B. occidentalis), agaran (G. birdiae), lambda-carrageenan (H. pseudofloresia) and iota-/kappa-carrageenan (S. filiformis) featuring basic structures. H. pseudofloresia had antioxidant SPs by all the in vitro assays, with most effectively by FIC property (propagation) than by other assays (initiation), although potent less than commercials. Therefore, SPs from Brazilian seaweeds suggested classes separated by phylum and/or species in chemotaxonomy and H. pseudofloresia a source in antioxidant SPs.