XVI International Botanical Congess

Beta -carotene is an important indicator for physiological conditions, including photosynthetic activity and serves as one of carotenoids for medical availabilities (anticancer and antioxidant). The variation of amounts of b-carotene in Undaria pinnatifida and Enteromorpha compressa of dried commercial types was investigated in comparison with the fresh samples. In U. pinnatifida, the maximum absorption peaks of total carotenoids in fresh type(FT)(400,421,448 nm) were different from those in dry type (DT)(400,423, 468 nm), but were similar in FT and DT of E.compressa (421,445,471 nm). The amount of b-carotene was 60 ug/g dry wt in FT but was 4 ug/g dry wt in DT of U. pinnatifida. The amount of b-carotene was 180 ug/g dry wt in FT and 60 ug/g dry wt in DT of E. compressa. +