Lipophilic Fraction of Cultivated Bifurcaria bifurcata R. Ross: Detailed Composition and In Vitro Prospection of Current Challenging Bioactive Properties
Open Access
- 1 November 2017
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Marine Drugs
- Vol. 15 (11), 340
- https://doi.org/10.3390/md15110340
Abstract
Macroalgae have been seen as an alternative source of molecules with promising bioactivities to use in the prevention and treatment of current lifestyle diseases. In this vein, the lipophilic fraction of short-term (three weeks) cultivated Bifurcaria bifurcata was characterized in detail by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). B. bifurcata dichloromethane extract was composed mainly by diterpenes (1892.78 ± 133.97 mg kg−1 dry weight (DW)), followed by fatty acids, both saturated (550.35 ± 15.67 mg kg−1 DW) and unsaturated (397.06 ± 18.44 mg kg−1 DW). Considerable amounts of sterols, namely fucosterol (317.68 ± 26.11 mg kg−1 DW) were also found. In vitro tests demonstrated that the B. bifurcata lipophilic extract show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities (against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria), using low extract concentrations (in the order of µg mL−1). Enhancement of antibiotic activity of drug families of major clinical importance was observed by the use of B. bifurcata extract. This enhancement of antibiotic activity depends on the microbial strain and on the antibiotic. This work represents the first detailed phytochemical study of the lipophilic extract of B. bifurcata and is, therefore, an important contribution for the valorization of B. bifurcata macroalgae, with promising applications in functional foods, nutraceutical, cosmetic and biomedical fields.Keywords
Funding Information
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/84226/2012, UID/CTM/50011/2013, FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013, UID/NEU/04539/2013, UID/AGR/00115/2013, SFRH/BD/110717/2015)
- European Regional Development Fund (CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012-HealthyAging2020)
This publication has 57 references indexed in Scilit:
- Natural products: An evolving role in future drug discoveryEuropean Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2011
- Bioactive potential and possible health effects of edible brown seaweedsTrends in Food Science & Technology, 2011
- Oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer: How are they linked?Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2010
- Origins and Evolution of Antibiotic ResistanceMicrobiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 2010
- Staphylococcus epidermidis — the 'accidental' pathogenNature Reviews Microbiology, 2009
- Linear and Cyclic C18 Terpenoids from the Southern Australian Marine Brown Alga Cystophora moniliformisJournal of Natural Products, 2008
- Bioactive brominated diterpenes from the marine red alga Jania Rubens (L.) Lamx.Phytotherapy Research, 2004
- Inflammation and cancerNature, 2002
- Geranylgeraniol-derived diterpenoids from the brown alga Bifurcaria bifurcataPhytochemistry, 1999
- (S)-13-hydroxygeranylgeraniol-derived furanoditerpenes from Bifurcaria bifurcataPhytochemistry, 1995