Identification of the toxic compounds produced by Sargassum thunbergii to red tide microalgae

The inhibitory effects of methanol extracts from the tissues of three macroalgal species on the growths of three marine red tide microalgae were assessed under laboratory conditions. Extracts of Sargassum thunbergii (Mertens ex Roth) Kuntz tissue had stronger inhibitory effects than those of either Sargassum pallidum (Turner) C. Agardh or Sargassum kjellmanianum Yendo on the growths of Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) Hada, Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Grev, and Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg. Methanol extracts of S. thunbergii were further divided into petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol, and distilled water phases by liquid-liquid fractionation. The petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions had strong algicidal effects on the microalgae. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of these two phases identified nine fatty acids, most of which were unsaturated fatty acids. In addition, pure compounds of four of the nine unsaturated fatty acids had effective concentrations below 5 mg/L. Therefore, unsaturated fatty acids are a component of the allelochemicals in S. thunbergii tissue.