Phytochemical Analysis of selected Seaweeds collected from Mandapam coast in Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu, India.

Seaweeds constitute a vital part of marine ecosystems. They are the reservoirs of carotenoids, pigments, polyphenols, enzymes, diverse functional polysaccharides. The secondary metabolites synthesized by seaweeds demonstrate a broad spectrum of bioactivity. Seaweeds samples such as (i) Spathoglossum asperum (ii) Padina tetrasmatica (iii) Turbinaria conoides were collected from Mandapam coast in Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu, India. Phytochemical screening of the seaweed extracts were carried out using standard methods. The present study screened the phytochemical properties of seaweeds with five extracts (aqueous, chloroform, ethanol, petroleum ether and acetone) and showed varied degree of phytochemicals present. The presence or absence of phytochemicals depends upon the solvent medium used for extraction and the physiological property of the seaweeds. From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the seaweeds may be used as broad spectrum of antimicrobial and bioactive agent after extensive investigation.