A Simple 96-Well Microplate Method for Estimation of Total Polyphenol Content in Seaweeds

• DOI: 10.1007/s10811-006-9048-4
• Publication Date: 2006-07-25T11:44:42Z
• Authors: Qing Zhang; Junzeng Zhang; Jingkai Shen; Angelica Silva; Dorothy A. Dennis; Colin J. Barrow
• Keywords: Nutraceutical; Repeatability

Seaweed polyphenols are potent antioxidants and have also been shown to have α-glucosidase inhibiting activity. In our continuous efforts to develop new marine-based nutraceuticals and functional food ingredients, we have investigated many algal species collected on the Atlantic coast of Canada. A simple method for estimating the total polyphenol content in seaweeds and their extracts was developed based on the classic Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric reaction. By using the 96-well microplate and a microplate reader, this new method saves experimental time, significantly reduces the amount of sample required, handles large number of samples in one experiment, and also improves the repeatability of the results.