Screening and isolation of the algicidal compounds from marine green alga Ulva intestinalis

Twenty species of seaweed were collected from the coast of Zhejiang, China, extracted with ethanol, and screened for algicidal activity against red tide microalgae H eterosigma akashiwo and Prorocentrum micans. Inhibitory eff ects of fresh and dried tissues of green alga U lva intestinalis were assessed and the main algicidal compounds were isolated, purifi ed, and identifi ed. Five seaweed species, U. intestinalis, U. fasciata, Grateloupia romosissima, Chondria crassicaulis, and Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, were investigated for their algicidal activities. Fresh tissues of 8.0 and 16.0 mg/m L of U. intestinalis dissolved in media signifi cantly inhibited growth of H. akashiwo and P. micans, respectively. Dried tissue and ethyl acetate(Et OAc) extracts of U. intestinalis at greater than 1.2 and 0.04 mg/m L, respectively, were fatal to H. akashiwo, while its water and Et OAc extracts in excess of 0.96 and 0.32 mg/m L, respectively, were lethal to P. micans. Three algicidal compounds in the Et OAc extracts were identifi ed as 15-ethoxy-(6z,9z,12z)-hexadecatrienoic acid(I),(6E,9E,12E)-(2-acetoxy- β- D-glucose)-octadecatrienoic acid ester(II) and hexadecanoic acid(III). Of these, compound II displayed the most potent algicidal activity with IC_(50) values of 4.9 and 14.1 μg/m L for H. akashiwo and P. micans, respectively. Compound I showed moderate algicidal activity with IC_(50) values of 13.4 and 24.7 μg/m L for H. akashiwo and P. micans, respectively. These fi ndings suggested that certain macroalgae or products therefrom could be used as ef fective biological control agents against red tide algae.