Pigments, soluble proteins and carbohydrates analysis of Rhodophyta species in Antarctic and sub-antarctica regions

• Grant number: 13/03685-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany
• Principal Investigator: Nair Sumie Yokoya
• Grantee: Cesar Bertagia Pasqualetti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Botânica. Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the polar regions, the annual solar radiation is 30% to 50% lower than in tropical regions and the seasons are characterized by short periods of light and extensive dark periods due to polar night and ice cover in winter. To survive such conditions, a strategy is needed to adapt these biochemical and physiological macroalgae, ensuring protection and food in the absence of light, making them resistant to the action of the waves, the freezing and desiccation. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to analyze the content of pigments, soluble proteins and carbohydrates in Rhodophyta species of Antarctic and Subantarctic regions, assessing the involvement of these primary metabolites in survival strategies in algae subjected to such extreme environments. The evaluation of these metabolites consist in quantifying total carbohydrates, pigments and soluble proteins, and analysis of the quantity and quality of agar and / or carrageenan. Thus, the data obtained contribute to a better understanding of the adaptive capacity of these species, and the relationship between these primary metabolites with the production of economically important compounds such as carrageenan and agar.