Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content in Cyanobacteria Isolated From Different Regions of India.

Twenty cyanobacteria isolated from different regions of the country were evaluated for antioxidants and total phenolic content at different time of incubation. The isolates were very diverse in both antioxidant (0.320 - 25.86 m mole Trolox/g dry weight) and total phenolics activity (1.415 - 42.32 µg GAE/g dry weight). Anabaena sp. (SP12), Anabaena sp. (SP13), Calothrix sp. (SP9) were promising strains in terms of antioxidants and in case of total phenolic content Anabaena sp. (SP12), Nostoc sp. (SP20), Nostoc sp. (SP2) were found to have the highest total phenolics content. Most of the isolates recorded maximum antioxidant activity as well as total phenolics content after 14 days of incubation with decrease thereafter. The similarity matrix and the dendrogram made on the basis of these activities depicted inter/intra generic similarity in terms of antioxidants and total phenolics when assigned equal impor- tance stating that antioxidant activity and total phenolics production by cyanobacteria varies among different isolates and is independent of any inter or intra generic boundaries.