title: Sterols from the red algae, Gracilaria salicornia and Hypnea flagelliformis, from Persian Gulf.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two of the important algae from Persian Gulf are Gracilaria salicornia and Hypnea flageliformis (Rhodophyta). Antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic effects of the mentioned algae have been presented in the previous studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, the isolation and structural elucidation of the sterols from these algae are reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  The separation and purification of the compounds were carried out with silica gel, sephadex LH(20) column chromatography (CC) and HPLC to obtain six pure compounds 1-6. The structural elucidation of the constituents was based on the data obtained from H-NMR,(13)C-NMR, HMBC, HSQC, DEPT, and EI-MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The isolated compounds from G. salicornia were identified as 22-dehydrocholesterol (1), cholesterol (2), oleic acid (3), and stigmasterol (4), and the isolated constituents from H. flagelliformis were identified as 22-dehydrocholesterol (1), cholesterol (2), oleic acid (3), cholesterol oleate (5), and (22E)-cholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol-7-one (6) based on the spectral data compared to those reported in the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Red algae are enriched with cholesterol polysaccharides. We first reported the presence of cholesteryl oleate and (22E)-cholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol-7-one in H. flagelliformis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science and Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasir
authors.forename: Soodabeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeidnia
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mashinchian-Moradi
authors.forename: Ahmad R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gohari