Biomass from Beached Algae of the Genus Caulerpa to Obtain the Alkaloid Caulerpin

Abstract

Caulerpin is a molecule that has several biological activities that are extremely important and sought after in the pharmaceutical market. It is found in algae of the genus Caulerpa, mainly in the species Caulerpa racemosa. This species of algae can be found beached in the sand along the Baía de Todos os Santos (Salvador, Bahia, Brazil). This project aims to study the use of the biomass of these marginalized algae. We extracted and analyzed the algae collected alive to evaluate the presence of caulerpin and then continue the research and processing of data with beached algae. The results showed that caulerpin was identified in all extractions. Therefore, the method Caulerpa racemosafor extracting and analyzing caulerpin was optimized and could be used in beached algae later.