The effect of solvents on the antioxidant activity in Caco-2 cells of Irish brown seaweed extracts prepared using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE®)

The antioxidant activities of extracts from the Irish seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (AN), Fucus vesiculosus (FV) and Fucus serratus (FS) prepared using different solvents were assessed in Caco-2 cells. The extracts were prepared using 100% H₂O (AN₁₀₀, FV₁₀₀, FS₁₀₀), 60% ethanol (AN_60e, FV_60e, FS_60e), 80% ethanol (AN_80e, FV_80e, FS_80e) or 60% methanol (AN_60m, FV_60m, FS_60m) combined with an accelerated solvent extraction (ASE®) technique. The cellular antioxidant status was determined by measuring catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content. The protective effects of the extracts against H₂O₂ and tert-BOOH-induced DNA damage were assessed using the comet assay. AN₁₀₀ and AN_80e significantly protected (P<0.05) against H₂O₂-induced DNA damage. AN_60e, AN_80e, FS₁₀₀, FS_80e and FV_60m protected against tert-BOOH-induced DNA damage. Extracts prepared from AN, particularly those prepared using 80% aqueous ethanol, appeared to have the greatest antioxidant potential, based on their ability to protect against oxidant-induced DNA damage.