Analysis of Ether Soluble Components in Undaria pinnatifida

Abstract

The analysis of components in algae is an important research subject in the fields of food, perfume, and medicinal chemistry because they have characteristic odors and unique structures different from those found in land plants. A systematic analysis of the ether soluble components in Undaria pinnatifida was therefore conducted. The sample was soaked in methanol for one week and the methanol extract was treated with ether in order to remove mannitol. The resulting ether soluble components were then separated and purified by a silica gel column and/or preparative thin layer chromatography. Compounds of hydrocarbons (paraffins, polyolefins), methyl and phytyl esters of fatty acids, long chain aldehydes, and sterols were isolated. Most of these compounds have been found in algae preciously, but some were recognized for the first time in U. pinnatifida.