The Baja California Peninsula in México has about 670 species of macroalgae along its coast. Species richness increases the probability of finding native macroalgae with potential as sources of bioactive compounds suitable for health, pharmacological, and cosmetic ingredients. To understand the biotechnological value of macroalgae from the peninsula, ethanol extracts from 17 macroalgae (four Chlorophyta, six Rhodophyta, seven Ochrophyta) were screened for antioxidant potential. To determine the antioxidant capacity of macroalgal extracts, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power, and nitric oxide radical scavenging as well as total phenolic content (TPC) were measured. Extracts of the brown macroalgae were most active. Among these, Eisenia arborea, Padina concrecens, and Cystoseira osmundacea had the highest TPC and exhibited the strongest radical scavenging activities. Correlations were found between TPC macroalgal and scavenging capacity, indicating an important role of polyphenols as antioxidants. This suggests that some brown macroalgae from Baja California Peninsula may be a good source of natural bioactive compounds.
Keywords: Antioxidant activity; Ethanol extracts; Macroalgae; Phenolic content.