Identification of eicosanoids in the red algae, Gracilaria asiatica, using high-performance liquid chromatography and...

Identification of eicosanoids which are metabolites of arachidonic acid in red algae Gracilaria asiatica, one of the popular seaweeds in Japan, was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) interfaced with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Prostaglandin (PG) E2, 15-keto-PGE2, and 8-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) were detected as major eicosanoids and PGA2, leukotriene B4 as minor ones in G. asiatica. 8- and 12-HETE had the same retention time in HPLC analysis, but using this analytical method, we were able to identify them.