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Evaluation of Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antiinflammatory Effect of Marine Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris

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Abstract

The present study was aimed to investigate the nutritional composition, chemical components and anti-inflammatory activity of C. vulgaris. The isolated microalga was mass cultured in laboratory by selective media with optimum conditions. Protein content was found to be higher for 45.23% followed by carbohydrate (23.43%) and total lipid (18.12%). Minerals components was recorded by the following order: Magnesium > Calcium > Iron > Manganese > Zinc > Copper. Seven vitamins were estimated, vitamin B3 was recorded higher (13.3 mg/100 g) and B12 has shown lesser amount (0.21 mg/100 g). The pigments chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids were found to be 4.7 mg/g, 4.2 mg/g and 6.11 mg/g respectively. Secondary metabolite was extracted by methanol and chloroform and further screened for the in vitro anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of albumin denaturation, antiproteinase, hypotonicity-induced haemolysis and anti-lipoxygenase assays and results have been recorded by concentration dependent. From the results, the anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic extract were found higher than the chloroform extract at 500 µg/ml. The functional groups of the potent methanolic extract were studied by FT-IR analysis which revealed the presence of alkane, nitro and carboxyl groups.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to the Dean and Director, CAS in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University for providing all necessary facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, 608 502, Tamil Nadu, India

    Gopal Prabakaran,  Meivelu Moovendhan, A. Arumugam, A. Matharasi, R. Dineshkumar &  Pitchai Sampathkumar

  2. Bioengineering and Drug Design Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), Chennai, 600 036, Tamil Nadu, India

    Meivelu Moovendhan

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  1. Gopal Prabakaran
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  2. Meivelu Moovendhan
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  3. A. Arumugam
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Correspondence to Pitchai Sampathkumar.

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Gopal Prabakaran, Meivelu Moovendhan, Arumugam, A. et al. Evaluation of Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antiinflammatory Effect of Marine Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. Waste Biomass Valor 10, 3263–3270 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-018-0370-2

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