Carotenoids Composition of Green Algae Caulerpa racemosa and Their Antidiabetic, Anti-Obesity, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Abstract

Green alga <i>Caulerpa racemosa</i> is an underexploited species of macroalgae, even though it is characterized by a green color that indicates an abundance of bioactive pigments, such as chlorophyll and possibly xanthophyll. Unlike chlorophyll, which has been well explored, the composition of the carotenoids of <i>C. racemosa</i> and its biological activities have not been reported. Therefore, this study aims to look at the carotenoid profile and composition of <i>C. racemose</i> and determine their biological activities, which include antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxicity in vitro. The detected carotenoids were all xanthophylls, which included fucoxanthin, lutein, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin based on orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS) and a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) diode array detector. Of the seven carotenoids observed, it should be highlighted that β-carotene and canthaxanthin were the two most dominant carotenoids present in <i>C. racemosa</i>. Interestingly, the carotenoid extract of <i>C. racemosa</i> has good biological activity in inhibiting α-glucosidase, α-amylase, DPPH and ABTS, and the TNF-α and mTOR, as well as upregulating the AMPK, which makes it a drug candidate or functional antidiabetic food, a very promising anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory. More interestingly, the cytotoxicity value of the carotenoid extract of <i>C. racemosa</i> shows a level of safety in normal cells, which makes it a potential for the further development of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

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