Quantificação e extração de caulerpina e seu potencial anti-incrustante

Abstract

Caulerpin is a bisindolic alkaloid described as the major sub stance of the genus. This natural product has been of great interest due to its bio logical activities. However, there is still a major distance from the identification of this substance to commercial viability. Thus, this work aimed to identify caulerpin t hrough a practical and economic routine analysis and also to verify a potential anti-fou ling biological activity. The quantification method of caulerpin content by Ultraviole t-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry was evaluated to estimate the quantity of caulerpin in the crude extracts. The algae Caulerpa racemosa was subjected to maceration, Soxhlet extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction and microwave-assiste d extraction. The most efficient caulerpin extraction method had the paramet ers green solvent, temperature and time consumed optimised. The best conditio ns for caulerpin extraction in this study were achieve with microwave irradi ation in ethanol during 7 minutes at 90 oC. The antifouling potential were condu cted bioassays of diffusion discs with bacteria isolated from marine biofilm, Vibrio aestuarians, Pseudoalteromonas elyakovii, Polaribacter irgensii, Pseudomon as fluorescens and Shewanella putrefaciens , and larval settlement assays with macrofouling Bugula neritina and Tubastraea coccinea . It was not possible to investigate the anti-fouling action of caulerpin and Caulerpa racemosa extract from these analyses, but different alternatives were presented.