Morphological and Molecular Identification and Antioxidant Measurement in Cultivated Algae from Unusual Waters of Semnan and Garmsar (Semnan, Iran)

The debate on biodiversity is one of the most important issues in today’s world. In this study, we focused on the examination and characterization of cultivable algae in the unconventional waters of Semnan and Garmsar. Sampling was conducted at eight different locations and employed microscopic and molecular techniques to identify the algae’s morphological and genetic features. Through microscopic analysis, we were able to identify the visible and structural traits of the algae accurately. The molecular identification involved analyzing the ۱۸S rRNA and ۱۶S rRNA genes and conducting BLAST searches on the NCBI database. Additionally, we constructed a phylogenetic tree using MEGA software (version ۶). Out of the ۱۰ strains identified, six belonged to the chlorophytes, while four were classified as The debate on biodiversity is one of the most important issues in today’s world. In this study, we focused on the examination and characterization of cultivable algae in the unconventional waters of Semnan and Garmsar. Sampling was conducted at eight different locations and employed microscopic and molecular techniques to identify the algae’s morphological and genetic features. Through microscopic analysis, we were able to identify the visible and structural traits of the algae accurately. The molecular identification involved analyzing the ۱۸S rRNA and ۱۶S rRNA genes and conducting BLAST searches on the NCBI database. Additionally, we constructed a phylogenetic tree using MEGA software (version ۶). Out of the ۱۰ strains identified, six belonged to the chlorophytes, while four were classified as cyanophytes. The antioxidant activity of the isolated strains was also evaluated using the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method. Furthermore, the total antioxidant activity of some strains was measured after inducing changes in cell color. The morphological and molecular methods helped us identify various genera, including Leptolyngbya sp., Scenedesmus sp., Coelastrella sp., Dunaliella sp., and Pseudanabaena sp. The results indicated a higher prevalence of Chlorophyta compared to other groups. Since there is a lack of previous research on algae identification in the Semnan Province, this study provides valuable insights into the local genetic resources of algae, which can serve as a foundation for future investigations.

Keywords:

biodiversity , FRAP assay , isolation , Photosynthetic Organisms , Purification