Pyropheophytin a as an Antioxidative Substance from the Marine Alga, Arame (Eisenia bicyclis)

Abstract

The Acidic and neutral fractions of an extract of the marine alga, Eisenia bicyclis (Japanese name "Arame"), showed strong antioxidative activity when tested by the ferric thiocyanate and TBA methods. Chromatographic purification of the neutral fraction gave an active oily substance identified as pyropheophytin a, one of the chlorophyll a-related compounds. This compound showed higher antioxidative activity than a-tocopherol and could be expected to act as an antioxidant in foods. The porphyrin ring system seems to be important for the antioxidative activity in the dark.