Identification of chemical structure and free radical scavenging activity of diphlorethohydroxycarmalol isolated from a brown alga, Ishige okamurae

To obtain a natural antioxidant from a marine biomass, this study investigated the antioxidative activity of methanolic extracts from the marine brown alga, Ishige okamurae collected off Jeju Island. A potent free radical scavenging activity was detected in the ethyl acetate fraction containing polyphenolic compounds, and the potent antioxidant elucidated as a kind of phlorotannin, diphlorethohydroxycarmalol, by NMR and mass spectroscopic data. The free radical scavenging activities of the diphlorethohydroxycarmalol were investigated in relation to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), alkyl, and hydroxyl radicals using an electron spin resonance (ESR) system. The diphlorethohydroxycarmalol was found to scavenge DPPH (IC50=3.41 microM) and alkyl (IC50=4.92 microM) radicals more effectively than the commercial antioxidant, ascorbic acid. Therefore, these results present diphlorethohydroxycarmalol as a new phlorotannin with a potent antioxidative activity that could be useful in cosmetics, foods, and pharmaceuticals.