Phytochemical screening, total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of Corallina officinalis from the Algerian coast

This research conducted a comprehensive assessment of the in vitro antioxidant properties of Corallina officinalis, a red macroalga, using extracts prepared with various solvents. The methanolic extract (ME), chloroform fraction (CF), and hexane fraction (HF) were evaluated for their antioxidant efficacy through the DPPH and (FRAP) method. Phytochemical analyses were performed to measure the total phenolic and flavonoid content, employing spectrophotometric techniques. The results indicated that the methanolic extract contained the highest concentrations of phenolics and flavonoids, succeeded by the chloroform and hexane fractions. Qualitative investigation verified the existence of essential bioactive components including phenols, flavonoids, sterols, polysaccharides, and terpenoids. The methanolic extract demonstrated superior antioxidant performance, with a DPPH radical scavenging rate of 78.71% and a reducing power corresponding to an absorbance of 1.16 at 700 nm. In contrast, the hexane extract exhibited a scavenging rate of 43.11% and an absorbance of 0.98 at the same wavelength. These findings suggest that the extracts possess significant potential for antioxidant applications.