Chemical and in vitro assessment of Alaskan coastal vegetation antioxidant capacity

Alaska Native (AN) communities have utilized tidal plants and marine seaweeds as food and medicine for generations, yet the bioactive potential of these resources has not been widely examined. This study screened six species of Alaskan seaweed (Fucus distichus, Saccharina latissima, Saccharina groenlandica, Alaria marginata, Pyropia fallax, and Ulva lactuca) and one tidal plant (Plantago maritima) for antioxidant activity. Total polyphenolic content (TPC) was determined, and chemical antioxidant capacity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ferrous ion chelating, and nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assays. In vitro inhibition of radical oxygen species (ROS) generation and NO synthesis was evaluated in a RAW 264.7 macrophage culture. Greatest TPC (557.2 μg phloroglucinol equivalents (PGE)/mg extract) was discovered in the ethyl acetate fraction of F. distichus, and highest DDPH scavenging activity was exhibited by F. distichus and S. groenlandica fractions (IC₅₀ = 4.29-5.12 μg/mL). These results support the potential of Alaskan coastal vegetation, especially the brown algae, as natural sources of antioxidants for preventing oxidative degeneration and maintaining human health.