• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.506-512
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• 2009

The antimicrobial activity of water and ethanol extracts from 30 species of algae was measured using the agar diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. In agar diffusion method, the 95% ethanol extracts from 12 of the algae showed growth inhibition against the tested microorganisms. In particular, Ishige okamurai, Ecklonia stolonifera, Sargassum siliquastrum, Sargassum thunbergii, Colpomenia bullosa, and Ecklonia cava had strong antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria at 4 mg/mL. In the results of the MIC test, S. siliquastrum showed the most antimicrobial activity, where its MIC values ranged from 0.005 to 0.0075% against Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, and Basillus subtilis. In the thermal stability test, for the ethanol extracts of I. okamurai, E. cava, S. siliquastrum, S. thunbergii, and C. bullosa, the extracts proved to maintain high antimicrobial activities when they were treated at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min. In the pH stability test, the antimicrobial activity of the S. siliquastrum ethanol extract was stable from pH 2 to 10, whereas the activity of the other species ethanol extracts were weakened under pH 10 against several microbes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.357-361
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• 2008

In this study, the antioxidant properties and physical characteristics of irradiated Sargassum siliquastrum water extract were evaluated. Samples were irradiated with $Co^{60}{\gamma}$-ray at doses ranging from 3 to 20 kGy. They were then analyzed to investigate antioxidant properties, including total phenolic compound content and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. In addition, physical properties such as viscosity and color were evaluated. The results demonstrated that total phenolic compound content and DPPH radical scavenging activity were significantly improved (p<0.05) by irradiation. In terms of physical properties, viscosity and color were reduced in the irradiated extracts as compared to non-irradiated samples. In conclusion, gamma irradiation improved the antioxidant properties of Sargassum siliquastrum water extract, improving its original weak point as a natural antioxidant when applied in the food industry.