A method for complete determination of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) in marine macroalgae from different geographical regions

Abstract A simple method has been developed for better quantification of the dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) content in macroalgae as examplified in Acrosiphonia arcta (Dillwyn) J. Agardh, Desmarestia anceps Montagne, Enteromorpha bulbosa (Suhr) Montagne, Gigartina skottsbergii Bory, Halopitys incurvus (Hudson) Batters, Himantothallus grandifolius (A. et E.S. Gepp) Zinova, Iridaea cordata (Turner) Bory, Palmaria decipiens (Reinsch) Ricker, Polysiphonia urceolata (Lightfoot) Greville, Polysiphonia pacifica Hollenberg, Polysiphonia paniculata Montagne, and Ulva lactuca Linnaeus collected from different geographic regions. Four different methods for pretreatment of the algal samples were tested to improve breaking up cells and tissue. Oven-drying prior to preparation for gas-chromatographic analysis gave up to 682-fold higher DMSP concentrations compared to fresh material-the standard method. This points to an underestimation of many DMSP values published previously. Only Polysiphonia paniculata exhibited...