BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2010, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 200-206

Chemical composition of polysaccharides of the red alga Tichocarpus crinitus (Tichocarpaceae) from different sites of Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

© 2010 A. O. Barabanova¹, I. P. Tischenko¹, V. P. Glazunov¹, I. M. Yakovleva², T. F. Solovyeva¹, N. V. Zarubina³, M. G. Blokhin³, I. M. Yermak¹

¹Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022;
²A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041;
³Far-Eastern Geological Institute, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022

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A comparative analysis was made of the quantitative and qualitative composition of polysaccharides of the red alga Tichocarpus crinitus collected at three sites of Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan) - Sivuchya Bay, Risovaya Bay, and Sobol Bay - differing in their biotopic characteristics and the degree of anthropogenic pressure. The main monosaccharides of the investigated algal polysaccharides were galactose and 3,6-anhydrogalactose, which represent structural components of carrageenan. The highest contents of protein and glucose were found in the KCl-soluble fraction of algae from Sobol Bay experiencing increased anthropogenic pressure. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the KCl-insoluble polysaccharide fractions of all investigated algae had an identical structure corresponding to κ/β-carrageenan, while the KCl-soluble polysaccharide fractions had differences in their structure. The content of heavy metals and micro- and macroelements in polysaccharide fractions differed among algae growing in areas with different biotopic and anthropogenic conditions.

Key words: Tichocarpus crinitus, polysaccharide composition, carrageenans, natural habitats, element analysis of polysaccharide fraction.