• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.621-628
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• 1993

Total lipid contents from 10 species of marine algae(2 green, 5 brown, and 3 red algae) collected from different places in Korea were examined and their fatty acid compositions were compared among species and habitats. Total lipid(TL) was prominent in green laver(about 7.3~10.1%) of the green algae, in sea mustard and seaweed fusiforme(about 3.1~4.8%) of the brown algae and purple laver(about 4.9~6.4%) of the red algae. Sea mustard and seaweed fusiforme collected at Chungmu contained a relatively high level of TL than that at Yosu and Kijang. The TL content of purple laver showed the highest portion in that collected at Nakdong. Green algae comprised the majority of n-3 fatty acids(29.0~66.3%), which mainly consisted of 16 : 4(n-3) (or 16 : 3 (n-3)), 18 : 3(n-3) and 18 : 4(n-3). Brown algae accounted for a low level of n-3 fatty acids(17.9~36.5%) mainly 18 : 4(n-3), 18 : 3(n-3) and 20 : 5(n-3), whereas the brown algae contained a significant level of n-6 fatty acids(7.23~26.5%) such as 20 : 4(n-6) and 18 : 2(n-6). In the case of red algae, the n-3 fatty acids consisted mostly of 20 : 5(n-3) which scored 53% of polyenoic acids in purple laver collected at Nakdong. The proportion of n-3 fatty acids in algae belonging to the same species was higher in algae of high TL contents. Consequently, TL and n-3 fatty acid levels from the seaweeds studied in this paper were different from their habitats.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2006

Epidemiological studies have indicated that the ubiquitous consumption of seaweeds is a protective factor against some types of cancer. Previous results showed that the administration of seaweed powder or extract reduced the incidence rate of chemically induced tumorigenesis using in vivo animal model. Recently, we reported that the extracts of Gloiopeltis furcata, a kind of Korean edible seaweed, caused he cell growth inhibition of various human cancer cell lines, among them methanol extract exhibited a relatively strong antiproliferative activity. However, the molecular mechanisms of this seaweed in malignant cells have been poorly studied until now. To elucidate this problem, we investigated the effects of methanol extract of G. furcata (MEGF) on the growth inhibition in several human cancer cell lines, and further we analyzed the effects of this extract were tested on the activity of apoptosis induction in human leukemic cells. The results demonstrated that MEGF treatment resulted in the morphological changes and the growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MEGF potently suppresses the growth of human leukemic U937 cells by induction of apoptosis, which was associated with induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) in a tumor suppressor p53-independent fashion and up-regulation of Fas/FasL system. Further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds that confer the anticancer activity of MEGF. Once such compounds are identified, the mechanisms by which they exert their effects can begin to be characterized.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.194-198
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• 2004

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogenesis of many human degenerative diseases such as cancer, aging, arteriosclerosis, and rheumatism. Much attention has been focused on the development of safe and effective antioxidants. To discover sources of antioxidative activity in marine algae, extracts from 17 kinds of seaweed were screened for their inhibitory effect on total ROS generation in kidney homogenate using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). ROS inhibition was seen in three species: UIva pertusa, Symphyocladia latiuscula, and Ecklonia stolonifera. At a final concentration of 25 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL, U. pertusa inhibited 85.65$\pm$20.28％ of total ROS generation, S. latiscula caused 50.63$\pm$0.09％ inhibitory, and the Ecklonia species was 44.30$\pm$7.33％ inhibition. E. stolonifera OKAMURA (Lam-inariaceae), which belongs to the brown algae, has been further investigated because it is commonly used as a foodstuff in Korea. Five compounds, phloroglucinol (1), eckstolonol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), and dieckol (5), isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanolic extrclct of E. stolonifera inhibited total ROS generation.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.909-915
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• 1997

The nitrite scavenging effect of methanol extracts of marine algae were evaluated to discover new natural nitrite scavengers. Among the tested seaweeds, Ecklonia stolonifera, an edible brown algae, showed the strongest scavenging effect. The MeOH extract was then sequentially partitioned into $CH_2Cl_2,\;CH_2Cl_2$ insoluble interface, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and $H_2O$ layers. The EtOAc and n-BuOH fraction demonstrated high levels of nitrite-scavenging activity while the $CH_2Cl_2,\;CH_2Cl_2$ insoluble interface, and $H_2O$ fractions were inactive. A column chromatography of the EtOAc fraction through silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 yielded phloroglucinol and a new compound tentatively named phlorotannin A. The nitrite scavenging activity of phloroglucinol $(IC_{50}=3.9{\mu}g/ml)$ was more potent than that of L-ascorbic acid $(IC_{50}=65.0{\mu}g/ml)$. However, phlorotannin A $(IC_{50}=193.2{\mu}g/ml)$ showed only low levels of activity. From the above results, it is possible to suggest that both the MeOH extract and their fractions and isolated phloroglucinol and phlorotannin A obtained from E. stolonifera may be applicable as scavengers of nitrite, which is a precursor for the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.269-274
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• 2004

Genetic responses of the edible seaweed Porphyra yezoensis tissue to acid shock have been compared using differential display technique. The tissue was challenged in seawater containing $0.05{\%}$ hydrogen chloride (pH 3.0) for 5 min, then rehabilitated in normal seawater for 10 min, 30 min, 60 min and 4 hrs. Total RNA extracted by the LiCl-guanidium method was reverse transcribed and amplified by PCR with arbitrary primers. The amplified fragment responded by the acid shock was selectively isolated from agarose gel and sequenced with DNA auto sequencer. Sequence (1056 bp) of the cDNA contained at least two genes for ASP7K (MW 7418) and ASP5K (MW 5512) proteins.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2012

GPAR{elidium (G.) amansii is a red alga widely distributed in the shallow waters around East Asian countries. We investigated the effect of G. amansii on lipid accumulation and ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) production in 3T3-L1 cells. G. amansii extracts dose-dependently inhibited lipid formation and ROS generation in cultured cells. Our results showed that anti-adipogenic effect of G. amansii was due to the reduction in mRNA expressions of PPAR${\gamma}$(peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-${\gamma}$) and aP2 (adipocyte protein 2). G. amansii extracts significantly decreased mRNA levels of a ROS-generator, NOX4 (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen oxidase 4), and increased the protein levels of antioxidant enzymes including SOD1/2 (superoxide dismutases), Gpx (glutathione peroxidase), and GR (glutathione reductase), which can lead to the reduction of ROS in the cell. In addition, the G. amansii extract enhanced mRNA levels of adiponectin, one of the adipokines secreted from adipocytes, and GLUT4, glucose uptake protein. Taken together, our study shows that G. amansii extract inhibited lipid accumulation and ROS production by controlling adipogenic signals and ROS regulating genes.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1376-1380
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• 2005

In this study, ethanolic extracts from 18 seaweed variants were assessed for hepatoprotective activity against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. Only one of these, Ecklonia stolonifera Okamura (Laminariaceae), a member of the brown algae, exhibited promising hepatoprotective activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the active ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction obtained from the ethanolic extract of E. stolonifera, resulted in the isolation of several phlorotannins [phloroglucinol (1), eckstolonol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), and dieckol (5)]. Compounds 2 and 4 were determined to protect Hep G2 cells against the cytotoxic effects of tacrine, with $EC_{50}$ values of 62.0 and 79.2 $\mu$g/mL, respectively. Silybin, a well characterized hepatoprotective agent, was used as a positive control, and exhibited an $EC_{50}$ value of 50.0 $\mu$g/mL. It has been suggested that the phlorotannins derived from marine brown algae might prove useful sources in the development of novel hepatoprotective agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1361-1368
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• 2019

Codium fragile is an edible seaweed in Asian countries that has been used as a thrombolytic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulatory agent. Ginseng has also been known to maintain immune homeostasis and to regulate the immune system via enhancing resistance to diseases and microorganisms. In this study, anionic macromolecules extracted from C. fragile (CFAM) were orally administered with red ginseng extract (100 mg/kg body weight) to cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed male BALB/c mice to investigate the immune-enhancing cooperative effect of Codium fragile and red ginseng. Our results showed that supplementing CFAM with red ginseng extract significantly increased spleen index, T- and B-cell proliferation, NK cell activity, and splenic lymphocyte immune-associated gene expression compared to those with red ginseng alone, even though a high concentration of CFAM with red ginseng decreased immune biomarkers. These results suggest that CFAM can be used as a co-stimulant to enhance health and immunity in immunosuppressed conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1464-1470
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• 2005

To assure the safety of the major edible seaweeds, we collected the 176 samples of seaweeds such as laver(Porphyra sp.), sea mustard (Undaria pinnatifida), sea tangle (Laminaria japonica) and sea lettuce (Enter-omorph sp.) from Korean coast. We investigated the contents of the trace metals in the edible seaweeds, and the values were expressed as the dry weight of sea weeds. The mean levels of the trace metals were high in the oder of Zn ($36.19{\pm}27.14 \;{\mu}g/g$), Mn ($28.75{\pm}28.03\;{\mu}g/g$), and Cu ($6.82{\pm}7.62\;{\mu}g/g$), which are necessary metals in the human body, and then followed by Cr ($1.54{\pm}2.07\;{\mu}g/g$), Ni ($1.29{\pm}2.57\;{\mu}g/g$), Pb ($0.89{\pm}1.11\;{\mu}g/g$), Cd ($0.72{\pm}0.80\;{\mu}g/g$) and Hg ($0.01{\pm}0.02\;{\mu}g/g$). The contents of Cd and Zn were high in the laver, Cr, Ni and Pb were detected highly in sea lettuce, and Hg was detected highly in sea tangle. Significant linear correlations were obtained among 28 different pairs of metals, some of them highly correlated (r>0.5, p<0.05),such as Ni-Mn, Zn-Ni, Cu-Pb and Cu-Zn in laver, Ni-Zn in sea mustard, Cu-Pb, Cu-Zn and Mn-Pb in sea tangle, and Ni-Cr in sea lettuce. And, the trace metal contents of seaweeds varied with parts and kinds of samples. The average weekly intakes of Hg, Cd and Pb from seaweeds were about $0.07{\~}3.57\%$ of PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes) which has set by FAO/WHO to evaluate the safeties of trace metals in food. Therefore, it was found that they showed very safe levels in the edible seaweeds.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1121-1129
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• 2017

The authors evaluated the scavenging activities of ABTS+ radical, hydroxy radical (OH), nitric oxide (NO), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) from ethanol extracts of four edible alga, Enteromorpha linza, Porphyra tenera, Sargassum fusiforme, and Undaria pinnatifida. ABTS+ scavenging activity was analyzed according to the method of Brand-Williams et al. ABTS+ scavenging activity of S. fusiforme was evaluated to 61.8% at 8.0 mg/ml. ABTS+ scavenging activity of P. tenera was evaluated to 35.7% at 8.0 mg/ml. P. tenera and U. pinnatifida showed similar inhibitions of ABTS+ scavenging activity. According to the results of the OH assay in seaweed, inhibitory activities were in the order of S. fusiforme > P. tenera > U. pinnatifida > E. linza. The results showed scavenging activity for NO in the following order of potency: S. fusiforme > P. tenera > U. pinnatifida > E. linza with concentration values of 8.0 mg/ml. The NO scavenging activities of dough, which was instant noodles mixed with S. fusiforme and 3.5% salt, were 27.2% at 8.0 mg/ml. After boiling for 5 minutes, FRAP scavenging activity of instant noodles mixed with extracts of U. pinnatifida was evaluated to 31.5% at 8.0 mg/ml. S. fusiforme showed the highest inhibition activity of ABTS+, OH, NO, and FRAP among the four algae. Thus, these findings provide evidence that P. tenera, U. Pinnatifida, S. fusiforme, and E. linza extracts could become sources of natural antioxidants.