Evaluation of chemical compositions and antioxidant potential of marine microalgae of the genus Nannochloropsis

The present study was performed to utilize the microalgae biomass as a potential source for fatty acids and to evaluate its bioactivity through an antioxidant assays for the microalga Nannochloropsis sp. The alga comprises maximum saturated fatty acids (52.23 ± 0.481%), followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (25.49 ± 0.043%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (22.28 ± 0.643%), respectively. Proximate composition and the active functional group Nannochloropsis sp. were analyzed by standard biochemical methods and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Antioxidant potential of the methanolic extract was evaluated by total antioxidant activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide radical scavenging, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. In all these assays, activity was expressed in concentration dependent manner and maximum activity was recorded at higher concentration of 250 µg/ml. This study concludes that Nannochloropsis sp. possessed the potential antioxidant properties and fatty acid profile. So, this alga can be used as a natural antioxidant to prevent the oxidative stress and various industrial applications like aqua feed formulation, biofuel production, and biomedicine in the future.