Summary

In the previous course "Development of UV-protectants from Red Algae, a Low-Use Resource," it was introduced that red algae, which are constantly exposed to UV light, contain mycosporin-like amino acids (MAAs) as UV-protectants. This compound is highly stable, but is known to be decomposed when heated to high temperatures such as 100°C. Now, it is known that MAAs are decomposed when heated to high temperatures such as 100°C. Now, what kind of compounds do MAAs become when decomposed?

In this study, we prepared MAAs from the low-utilized resource red algal dulse and investigated what kind of compounds they become upon heating and their antioxidant activity as one of their functionalities (Figure 1).