• ALGAE
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2012

We report an oxidative burst triggered by prostaglandin $A_2(PGA_2)$ in the brown algal kelp Laminaria digitata, constituting the first such discovery in an alga and the second finding of an oxidative burst triggered by a prostaglandin in a living organism. The response is more powerful than the oxidative burst triggered by most other chemical elicitors in Laminaria. Also, it is dose-dependent and cannot be inhibited by diphenylene iodonium, suggesting that another source than NAD(P)H oxidase is operational in the production of reactive oxygen species. Despite the very strong oxidative response, rather few effects at other levels of signal transduction pathways could be identified. $PGA_2$ does not increase lipolysis (free fatty acids) in Laminaria, and only one oxylipin (15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid; 15-HETE) was found to be upregulated in Laminaria. In a subsequent set of experiments in the genome model Ectocarpus siliculosus, none of 5 selected candidate genes, all established participants in various stress responses, showed any significant differences in their expression profiles.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2007

Marine algal flora and community structure of medicinal seaweeds were examined at Kkotji of Taean Peninsula, Korea from May 2005 to January 2006. Seventy-nine seaweeds including 42 medicinal algae and one marine plant were identified. Sargassum thunbergii was the representative alga occurred at all seasons and shore levels. The dominant medicinal seaweeds were perennial S. thunbergii, Neorhodomela aculeata, and Corallina pilulifera, and ephemeral Monostroma grevillei, Porphyra yezoensis, and Ulva pertusa. Their vertical distribution were N. aculeata – P. yezoensis, M. grevillei, and U. pertusa – C. pilulifera from high to low intertidal zone. The average biomass of medicinal seaweeds varied from 34.17 g m–2 in spring to 56.41 g m–2 in summer. At Kkotji shore, the opportunistic species (Enteromorpha, Ulva, and Cladophora) and turf-forming algae (Caulacanthus okamurae and Gelidium divaricatum) were easily observed. Such fast growing ESG II (ecological state group) was 87.50% and slow growing perennial algae, ESG I was only 12.15%. Also, diversity index (H’) and dominance index (DI) indicate that the seaweed community of Kkotji is unstable. Therefore, Kkotji rocky shore should be more protected from human activities such as turbulence and eutrophication in order to maintain species diversity and abundance of medicinal seaweeds.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2015

In this study, the potential capacity of the crude extract and its solvent fractions from S. siliquanstrum against adipocyte differentiation were evaluated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The anti-adipogenic effect of S. siliquanstrum was evidenced by the fact that its crude extract decreases the lipid accumulation of differentiating cells and the expression levels of crucial adipogenesis markers, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor $(PPAR){\gamma}$ and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein $(C/EBP){\alpha}$. All solvent fractions except the water fraction showed an observable decrease in lipid accumulation and $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $C/EBP{\alpha}$ expressions. In conclusion, these results suggest that S. siliquanstrum possesses obesity inhibiting components, which may possibly be used as a valuable anti-obesity agent for reducing the risk of obesity.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.212-216
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• 2004

Peroxynitrite formation in vivo is implicated in numerous human diseases and there is considerable interest in the use of antioxidants and natural products for their treatment. The three components (1-3) isolated from Sargassum thunbergii as well as the organic solvent-soluble fractions and the aqueous layer of S. thunbergii were evaluated for their potential to scavenge authentic ONOO$\^$-/ and ONOO$\^$-/ derived from 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1). The antioxidant activity of the individual fractions was in the order of 85% aqueous (aq.) MeOH＞n$\^$-/ BuOH＞n-hexane＞H$_2$O. The three known compounds, sargahydroquinoic acid (1), sargaquinoic acid (2) and sargachromenol (3) showed peroxynitrite-scavenging activities comparable to those of L-ascorbic acid and penicillamine. These results showed a possible antioxidant activity in major constituents of S. thunbergii.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.298-300
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• 2003

A management information system of the Nanji Islands National Marine Reserve is designed and constructed based on method of integration of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS). The system consists of two sub-systems, dynamic monitoring information system and general database system. The former is used for storage and manage fundamental geographical data (topographical and bathymetric map), satellite remote sensing data (IKONOS, SPOT, IRS, NOAA and SeaWiFS etc.) and multimedia data. The latter is used for storage and manage resource data (shellfish and alga etc.), environmental data (meteorological and hydrologic) and in situ data. As part of electronic government, this system will be submitted to local government for monitoring, management and decision.

• 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.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sargassum horneri is an edible brown alga that grows in the subtidal zone as an annual species along the coasts of South Korea, China, and Japan. Recently, an extreme amount of S. horneri moved into the coasts of Jeju Island from the east coast of China, which made huge economic and environmental loss to the Jeju Island. Thus, utilization of this biomass becomes a big issue with the local authorities. Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of crude polysaccharides (CPs) extracted from S. horneri China strain in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: CPs were precipitated from S. horneri digests prepared by enzyme assistant extraction using four food-grade enzymes (AMG, Celluclast, Viscozyme, and Alcalase). The production levels of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ were measured by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were measured by using western blot. The IR spectrums of the CPs were recorded using a fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrometer. RESULTS: The polysaccharides from the Celluclast enzyme digest (CCP) showed the highest inhibition of NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells ($IC_{50}$ value: $95.7{\mu}g/mL$). Also, CCP dose-dependently down-regulated the protein expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 as well as the production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$, compared to the only LPS-treated cells. In addition, CCP inhibited the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ p50 and p65 and the phosphorylation of MAPKs, including p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, FT-IR analysis showed that the FT-IR spectrum of CCP is similar to that of commercial fucoidan. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that CCP has anti-inflammatory activities and is a potential candidate for the formulation of a functional food ingredient or/and drug to treat inflammatory diseases.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2005

Sargassum fulvellum (Turner) C. Agardh, an edible brown alga is farmed commercially by sexual reproduction and vegetative regeneration. Investigations were made on the phenology, abundance and maturity of reproductive structures in mature fronds, egg release and young germling development under different light conditions (20, 50, 80 and $100{\mu}mol/m^2/s$) and temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20 and $25^{\circ}C$). Monthly sampling was carried out by SCUBA diving at Chungsando on the southwestern coast of Korea from September 2002 to August 2003. The Maximum length of thalli was $104.6{\pm}20.7{\cal}cm$ in March 2003 when the water temperature was $9.0^{\circ}C$ and minimum was $0.8{\pm}0.5{\cal}cm$ in June when the water temperature was $19.5^{\circ}C$. Receptacle formation was observed from February to April. The peak period of egg release for this alga was in April when the water temperature was about $10^{\circ}C$ in nature. In the culture regimes of temperature and irradiance, the egg release of the excised female receptacle was highly affected by temperature. The maximum rate of egg release was $96.7{\pm}5.8{\%}$ under $20^{\circ}C$ and $80{\mu}mol/m^2/s$. The maximum length of young germlings was $3.9{\pm}0.2{\cal}mm$ after 35 days culture under $15^{\circ}C$ and $80{\mu}mol/m^2/s$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.81-81
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• 2003

The present study was taken to examine the inhibitory effect of extracts of Scytosiphon lomentaria, a marine alga growing in Jeju Island, on the growth of cancer cells and to develop an anti-cancer agent using components of S. lomemtaria. The effect was observed by the measurement of metabolic activity using colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In results, crude extract of this alga markedly inhibited the growth of leukemia cell lines such as HL-60 and KG-1, but could scarcely inhibit the growth of normal cells (HEL299) and adenocarcinoma cells (SNU-16 and HCT-I5). When HL-60 cells were treated with the extract, DNA fragmentation and the increase of proportion of sub-G1 hypodiploid cells were observed. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of S. lomemtaria on the growth of HL-60 cells seems to arise from the induction of apoptosis. In order to understand the mechanism of apoptosis inducton by S. lomemtaria, we examined the changes of Bcl-2 and Bax expression. The extract reduced Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein, but increased Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein in a dose-dependent manner. When we examined the activation of caspase-3, an effector of apoptosis, the expression of active form(19 kDa) of caspase-3 was increased and the increase of their activities was demonstrated by the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, a substrate of caspase-3, to 85 kDa. The results indicate that extract of S. lomentaria induces the apoptosis of HL-60 cells via the down-regulation of Bc1-2 and the activation of caspases.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.298-303
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• 2011

A large number of edible seaweeds are consumed by the coastal peoples of Asia. Some of them are used in traditional remedies in many parts of the world. In this study we investigated effects of supplementation with ethyl acetate extracts of the brown alga Eisenia bicyclis (EBE) on rat macrophage to evaluate the possibilities as immune-modulators. Twelve male SD rats were divided into two groups and the treatments were as follows: A, no Eisenia bicyclis extract (EBE) intake and distilled water ; B, oral supplemented with EBE 200 mg/kg. After 5 weeks of supplementation, rats were sacrificed to assess the effect on peritoneal macrophage functions. We showed no increasing effects on tumoricidal activity, phagocytic activity and NO production in macrophages in EBE supplementation group. However, EBE supplementation suppressed NO-iNOS production and p65 translocation into the nucleus in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Overall, these results suggest that the supplementation of EBE might have an anti-inflammatory effects on NO-iNOS production in macrophages throughout the inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation.