Comparative study on antioxidant activity of Gold 1, a new strain of Pyropia yezoensis

Abstract

The global output of Pyropia yezoensis (dried seaweed or laver, also called ‘Gim’ in Korea) has been reduced over the half-decade due to the wide spread of red rot disease, a serious algal disease affecting P. yezoensis. Recently, Gold 1 (G1), which is a resistant strain of P. yezoensis to red rot disease, was developed and commercialized in South Korea, yet its physiological activity has not been investigated. In this study, a comparative study was performed on G1 and commercially available strain of P. yezoensis (CP) for their antioxidative activities. Aqueous extract of G1 showed more marked 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity compared to that of CP. In 293T cells, antioxidant activity against H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation was only observed in G1 extract. In addition, G1 extract showed more potent inhibitory effect on H2O2-induced apoptotic cell death than CP extract, as examined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and fluorescence microscopy. Expression levels of various apoptosis-related genes, including B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein, p53, capase-3, and inflammatory cytokines, in H2O2-treated cells were significantly decreased by the treatment of G1. Taken together, the present study suggests that a new strain of red seaweed G1 can recover oxidative stress effectively by improving the imbalance of ROS generation and has a potential to be used a functional ingredient as an antioxidant source.

Keywords

• Pyropia yezoensis
• Antioxidant
• Oxidative stress
• Gold 1
• Red rot disease