• ALGAE
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.327-334
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• 2008

Seaweed biomass was estimated using a nondestructive sampling method in the rocky intertidal and subtidal zone in Daejin on the mid-east coast of Korea from August 2006 to April 2008. Seasonal sampling were done at the depth of 0, 1, 5, 10 m using 50 x 50 cm quadrat. A total of 95 species, including 11 chlorophytes, 26 phaeophytes, 57 rhodophytes and one sea grass were identified. Mean biomass was comprised of 1,292 g wet wt m$^{-2}$ and the biomass values varied seasonally from 904 g to 1,945 g. Dominant species in biomass were Sargassum spp. (S. horneri, S. yezoense), Corallina pilulifera, Phyllospadix japonica, Symphyocladia latiuscula, Hizikia fusiformis, Codium arabicum and Chondrus ocellatus at Daejin. The vertical distribution of algae were characterized by Corallina pilulifera, Symphyocladia latiuscula, Sargassum spp. (S. confusum, S. yezoense), Hizikia fusiformis and Grateloupia elliptica at intertidal zone, Sargassum spp. (S. fulvellum, S. horneri, S. yezoense), Phyllospadix japonica, Codium arabicum, Undaria pinnatifida and Corallina pilulifera at 1 m depth, Sargassum spp. (S. horneri, S. micracanthum, S. yezoense), Phyllospadix japonica, Grateloupia elliptica, Gelidium amansii and Codium arabicum at 5 m depth and Phyllospadix japonica, Codium arabicum, Sargassum spp. (S. horneri, S. micracanthum, S. yezoense) and Undaria pinnatifida at 10 m depth.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.241-246
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• 2016

A filamentous green alga Cladophora vadorum (Areschoug) Kützing, bloomed at Shangrok Beach, Buan, Republic of Korea, in September 2015. This alga is currently distributed worldwide. Concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) were analyzed in the bloom area and compared to those of other areas in the vicinity. DIN and DIP concentrations were similar to those of other areas. However, TN and TP were as much as six and ten times higher than in other areas, respectively. As in other Cladophora species, the bloom of C. vadorum at Shangrok Beach in 2015 appears to have depended on the TP concentration in the seawater. This suggests that blooms in the area can be controlled by reducing TP.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.689-693
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• 2016

Sargassum golden tides occurred in Shinan-gun and Jeju Island, Korea, between January and May 2015. In Shinangun, 5,180 tons of Sargassum were removed from 3,339 ha of coastline, while 20,000 tons were removed from Jeju Island. The huge floating masses of seaweed caused damage to fisheries in Shinan-gun including abalone sea cage, Pyropia and Saccharina farms off the southwest coast of Korea. Drifting Sargassum also washed ashore on Jeju Island. The species of Sargassum in these golden tides was identified as S. horneri (Turner) C. Agardh, based on morphology and molecular data, and it appears to have originated from the East China Sea. This is the first report on Sargassum golden tides causing damage to fisheries in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.687-692
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• 2010

The mass cultivation of Ecklonia cava Kjellman was studied as a potential biomass source for the extract industry in Korea. Experiments were conducted to investigate the optimal conditions for artificial seed production and mass cultivation of this species. Maximum growth and young thalli development in the nursery culture area occurred at 2 m depth, whereas maximum growth of thalli in the main culture area occurred at 1 m depth. Production of E. cava was between 2.6 and 3.6 kg wet wt. $m^{-1}$ after depth control and removal of fouling organism, etc. The relationship between optimal water depth for culture and underwater irradiance during the E. cava cultivation was calculated as: y = -0.718x + 8.042 ($r^2$=0.976). The growth rates achieved in this trial indicate that E. cava cultures could produce and supply sufficient biomass.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.468-473
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• 2024

The tyrosinase inhibition effects of 23 marine-derived seaweeds harvested in Korea were screened to determine their potential as skin-whitening agents. Of the 23 species initially screened, the total phenolic (TP) content of brown, green, and red seaweeds were 7.62-280.11, 5.24-62.37, and 0.63-28.76 phloroglucinol equivalents (PGE) mg/g, respectively. Brown seaweed extracts exhibited much stronger inhibitory activities than green and red seaweed extracts. Among the brown seaweeds, Ecklonia cava had the highest TP content (280.11 PGE mg/g) and the strongest tyrosinase inhibitory effect with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 4.38 ㎍/mL. The kinetics of tyrosinase inhibition, analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots, found E. cava extract to be a non-competitive inhibitor. This study's results indicated that E. cava's inhibition of tyrosinase may have potential applications in the cosmetic industry.

• 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.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.436-444
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• 2023

Aspergillus species play a crucial role in terrestrial environments as degraders and are well known for producing various secondary metabolites. Recently, Aspergillus species have been discovered in marine environments, exhibiting adaptability to high salinity and producing diverse secondary metabolites with valuable properties. However, limited research has focused on their marine diversity, leading to inaccurate species identification. The current study addresses this gap by investigating diverse marine habitats in the Republic of Korea, including sediment, seawater, seaweed, and marine animals. From three coasts of the Korean Peninsula, 472 Aspergillus strains were isolated from the various marine habitats. A total of 41 species were accurately identified using multigenetic markers: internal transcribed spacer, calmodulin, and b-tubulin. The findings underscore the importance of accurate identification and provide a basis for elucidating the functional role of marine-derived Aspergillus species in marine ecosystems.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.580-592
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to further investigate the potential health beneficial effects of long-term seaweed supplementation on lipid metabolism and hepatic functions in DIO mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Four brown seaweeds (Undaria pinnatifida [UP], Laminaria japonica [LJ], Sargassum fulvellum [SF], or Hizikia fusiforme [HF]) were added to a high fat diet (HFD) at a 5% ratio and supplemented to C57BL/6N mice for 16 weeks. Triglycerides (TGs) and total cholesterol (TC) in the liver, feces, and plasma were measured. Fecal bile acid (BA) levels in feces were monitored. Hepatic insulin signaling- and lipogenesis-related proteins were evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Fasting blood glucose levels were significantly reduced in the LJ, SF, and HF groups compared to the HFD group by the end of 16-week feeding period. Plasma TG levels and hepatic lipid accumulation were significantly reduced in all 4 seaweed supplemented groups, whereas plasma TC levels were only suppressed in the UP and HF groups compared to the HFD group. Fecal BA levels were significantly elevated by UP, LJ, and SF supplementation compared to HFD feeding only. Lastly, regarding hepatic insulin signaling-related proteins, phosphorylation of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase was significantly up-regulated by all 4 types of seaweed, whereas phosphorylation of protein kinase B was up-regulated only in the SF and HF groups. Lipogenesis-related proteins in the liver were effectively down-regulated by HF supplementation in DIO mice. CONCLUSIONS: Brown seaweed consumption showed hypotriglyceridemic effects in the prolonged DIO mouse model. Specifically, combinatory regulation of BA excretion and lipogenesis-related proteins in the liver by seaweed supplementation contributed to the reduction of plasma and hepatic TG levels, which inhibited hyperglycemia in DIO mice. Thus, the discrepant and species-specific functions of brown seaweeds provide novel insights for the selection of future targets for therapeutic agents.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.12 no.spc2
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• pp.23-32
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• 2023

During screening for indigenous prokaryotic species in Republic of Korea in 2021, a total of 21 bacterial strains assigned to the phylum Bacteroidota were isolated from a variety of environmental habitats including pine cone, seaweed, soil, sea sediment, brackish water and moss. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value of more than 98.7% and formation of a robust phylogenetic clade with the type strain of the closest bacterial species, it was found that the 21 strains belong to independent and recognized bacterial species. There has been no official report that the identified 21 species have been isolated in Republic of Korea up to date. Therefore, 16 species in six genera of two families in the order Flavobacteriales, two species in two genera of two families in the order Cytophagales, one species in one genus of one family in the order Chitinophagales and two species in one genus of one family in the order Sphingobacteriales are proposed as unrecorded species of the phylum Bacteroidota isolated in Republic of Korea. Their Gram reaction, colony and cell morphology, basic phenotypic characteristics, isolation source, taxonomic status, strain ID and other information are described in the species descriptions.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.187-191
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• 2007

The radical scavenging activity of methanol extracts of seaweeds and their active compounds, alginic acid, fucoidan and phloroglucinol, were investigated under in vitro. Among methanol extracts of seaweeds (sea mustard, sea tangle, seaweed papulosa, fusiforme, sea lettuce, purple laver and chlorella), seaweed papulosa and sea tangle showed strong scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydroxyl radical (${\cdot}OH$). In addition, under in vitro, the scavenging activities on DPPH radical of alginic acid and fucoidan, which are active compounds of brown algae, and phloroglucinol, the active compound from Ecklonia species, were evaluated and compared. Fucoidan and phloroglucinol showed strong DPPH scavenging effect, in particular, phloroglucinol had strongest activity among the active compounds. On the other hand, alginic acid did not exert DPPH scavenging activity. From the present study, we could confirm the antioxidative activity of seaweeds and its active compounds.