• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.311-316
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• 2014

Lichen studies, including biodiversity, phylogenetic relationships, and conservation concerns require definitive species identification, however many lichens can be challenging to identify at the species level. Molecular techniques have shown efficacy in discriminating among lichen taxa, however, obtaining genomic DNA from herbarium and fresh lichen thalli by conventional methods has been difficult, because lichens contain high proteins, polysaccharides, and other complex compounds in their cell walls. Here we report a rapid, easy, and inexpensive protocol for extracting PCR-quality DNA from various lichen species. This method involves the following two steps: first, cell breakage using a beadbeater; and second, extraction, isolation, and precipitation of genomic DNA. The procedure requires approximately 10 mg of lichen thalli and can be completed within 20 min. The obtained DNAs were of sufficient quality and quantity to amplify the internal transcribed spacer region from the fungal and algal lichen components, as well as to sequence the amplified products. In addition, 26 different lichen taxa were tested, resulting in successful PCR products. The results of this study validated the experimental protocols, and clearly demonstrated the efficacy and value of our KCl extraction method applied in the fungal and algal samples.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.18-21
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• 1977

Effects of alginate and tangle on the suppression of intestinal absorption of heavy metals were tested by albino rats. The absorption of cadmium was suppressed by adding 5% or 10% alginate to the diets contaminated with 5 ppm cadmium, but not by 1% a1ginate or 10% tangle (p<0.05).

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.382-390
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• 2006

Various microorganisms were isolated from the surface waters and sediments of eutrophic lakes and reservoirs in Korea to enable an investigation of bacteria having algal lytic activities against Anabaena flos-aquae when water blooming occurs and to study enzyme profiles of algal lytic bacteria. Two bacterial strains, AFK-07 and AFK-13, were cultured, characterized and identified as Acinetobacter johnsonii and Sinorhizobium sp., respectively. The A. johnsonii AFK-07 exhibited a high level of degradatory activities against A. flos-aquae, and produced alginase, caseinase, lipase, fucodian hydrolase, and laminarinase. Moreover, many kinds of glycosidase, such as ${\beta}-galactosidase,\;{\beta}-glucosidase,\;{\beta}-glucosaminidase,\;and\; {\beta}-xylosidase$, which hydrolyzed ${\beta}-O-glycosidic$ bonds, were found in cell-free extracts of A. johnsonii AFK-07. Other glycosidases such as ${\alpha}-galactosidase,\;{\alpha}-N-Ac-galactosidase,\;{\alpha}-mannosidase,\; and\;{\alpha}-L-fucosidase$, which cleave ${\alpha}-O-glycosidic$ bonds, were not identified in AFK-07. In the Sinorhizobium sp. AFK-13, the enzymes alginase, amylase, proteinase (caseinase and gelatinase), carboxymethyl-cellulase (CMCase), laminarinase, and lipase were notable. No glycosidase was produced in the AFK-13 strain. Therefore, the enzyme system of A. johnsonii AFK-07 had a more complex mechanism in place to degrade the cyanobacteria cell walls than did the enzyme system of Sinorhizobium sp. AFK-13. The polysaccharides or the peptidoglycans of A. flos-aquae may be hydrolyzed and metabolized to a range of easily utilized monosaccharides or other low molecular weight organic substances by strain AFK-07 of. A. johnsonii, while the products of polysaccharide degradation or peptidoglycans were more likely to be utilized by Sinorhizobium sp. AFK-13. These bacterial interactions may offer an alternative effective approach to controlling the water choking effects of summer blooms affecting our lakes and reservoirs.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.270-278
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• 1995

This report described on the soluble, insoluble, and total dietary fiber level depending on the harvesting seasons and habitats in 9 species of marine algae. Total dietary fiber contents were comprised $25.4-38.1\%$ (dry basis) in green laver and $35.4-43.8\%$in sea staghorn of green algae, $34.2-48.8\%$ in sea mustard, $37.5-47.8\%$ in seaweed fusiforme, $42.9-71.3\%$ in gulf weed, and $37.1-45.1\%$ in sea tangle of brown algae, and $31.3-40.5\%$ in laver, $51.5-60.4\%$ in seaweed dilatata, and $57.1-65.8\%$ in seaweed furcata of red algae. Relatively high levels of both soluble and insoluble dietary fibers were found in seaweed furcata and gulf weed. The ratio of soluble dietary fiber to total dietary fiber was the highest in green laver $(43.7-64.8\%)$, sea mustard $(17.5-31.3\%)$, and seaweed furcata $(44.7-63.2\%)$ in their respective groups. The highest level of algal polysaccharides was confirmed to be an alkali-soluble alginic acid $(9.0-15.1\%)$ in whole brown algae, porphyran$(5.8\%)$ in laver, agar $(20.0\%)$ in seaweed furcata, and carrageenan $(23.8\%)$ in seaweed dilatata of red algae.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.2 s.103
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• pp.108-116
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• 2003

To investigate bacteria with algal Iytic activities against Anabaena cylindrica when water blooming occurs and to study enzyme profiles of alga-Iytic bacteria, various bacterial strains were isolated from surface waters and sediments in eutrophic lakes or reservoirs in Korea. Abacterial strain AK-07 was characterized and identified as Acinetobacter johnsonii based on its16S rDNA base sequence. When AK-07 was co-cultivated with A. cylindrica, bacterial cells propagated to $8\;{\times}\;10^8$ cfu $ml^{-1}$ and Iyses algal cells. However, culture filtrates of AK-07 did not exhibit algal Iytic activities. That suggesting the enzymes on the surfaces of the bacterium might be effective algal Iytic agents to cause Iyses of cells. Acinetobacter johnsonii AK-07 exhibited high degradation activities against A. cylindrica, and formed alginase, caseinase, lipase, fucodian hydrolase, and laminarinase. Moreover, glycosidases for example ${\beta}$-galatosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosidase, ${\beta}$-glucosaminidase, and ${\beta}$-xylosidase, which hydrolyzed ${\beta}$-0-glycosidic bonds, were found in cell-free extracts of A. johnsonii AK-07. Other glycosidase such as ${\alpha}$-galctosidases, ${\alpha}$-N-Ac-galctosidases, ${\alpha}$-mannosidases, and ${\alpha}$- L-fuco-sidases, which cleavage ${\alpha}$-0-glycosidic bondsare not detected. In the results, enzyme systemsof A. johnsonii AK-07 were very complex to do-grade cell walls of cyanobacteria. The polysaccharides or peptidoglycans of A. cylindrica maybe hydrolyzed and metabolized to a range of easily utilizable monosaccharides or other low molecular weight organic substances by strain AK-07 of A. johnsonii.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1621-1629
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• 2008

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), commonly called red tides, are caused by some toxic phytoplanktons, and have made massive economic losses as well as marine environmental disturbances. As an effective and environment-friendly strategy to control HAB outbreaks, biological methods using marine bacteria capable of killing the harmful algae or algicidal extracellular compounds from them have been given attention. A new member of the $\gamma$-Proteobacteria, Hahella chejuensis KCTC 2396, was originally isolated from the Korean seashore for its ability to secrete industrially useful polysaccharides, and was characterized to produce a red pigment. This pigment later was identified as an alkaloid compound, prodigiosin. During the past several decades, prodigiosin has been extensively studied for its medical potential as immunosuppressants and antitumor agents, owing to its antibiotic and cytotoxic activities. The lytic activity of this marvelous molecule against Cochlodinium polykrikoides cells at very low concentrations ($\sim$l ppb) was serendipitously detected, making H. chejuensis a strong candidate among the biological agents for HAB control. This review provides a brief overview of algicidal marine bacteria and their products, and describes in detail the algicidal characteristics, biosynthetic process, and genetic regulation of prodigiosin as a model among the compounds active against red-tide organisms from the biochemical and genetic viewpoints.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.151-156
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• 2018

The world is becoming overwhelmed with widespread diseases as antibiotic resistance increases at an alarming rate. Hence, there is a demanding need for the discovery and development of new antimicrobial drugs. The ocean is gifted with many organisms like phytoplankton, algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, mollusk, tunicates and echinoderms, which are known to produce a wide variety of bioactive secondary metabolites with pharmacological properties. Many new therapeutic drugs have emerged from marine invertebrates, although the large algal community is yet to be explored. The bioactivity possessing secondary metabolites of marine algae include polyphenols, phlorotannins, alkaloids, halogenated compounds, sulfated polysaccharides, agar, carrageenan, proteoglycans, alginate, laminaran, rhamnan sulfate, galactosylglycerol, and fucoidan. These metabolites have been found to have great antimicrobial activities against many human aliments. Studies show that the algal community represents about 9% of biomedical compounds obtained from the sea. This review looks at the evolution of drugs from the ocean, with a special emphasis on the antimicrobial activities of marine algae.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2010

Fucoidans, polysaccharides that are composed of fucose, uronic acids, galactose and xylose, are one of the main constituents of brown seaweeds. For the past decade algal fucoidans have been extensively studied due to their biological activities including anticoagulant, antiinflammatory, antitumor, contraceptive and antiviral activities. Even though fucoidan is known as a highly functionality derivative, its industrial applications have been limited because of low inclusion efficiency and high cost of manufacturing. Furthermore the sea-weed smell of fucoidan has been a limiting factor for the application especially in food and cosmetic area. The potential application of various extraction technology and deodorization of sea-weed smell is highly required for a wider application of fucoidan. As an alternative extraction process, enzymatic hydrolysis process or ultra-high pressure treatment has been investigated for the improvement of production yield and bioefficacy of fucoidan. More intensive research on the fucoidan production technology and its application in nutraceutical and cosmoceutical area is needed.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.665-671
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• 2020

The chemical and rheological properties of fucoidan and alginate prepared from different parts of Undaria pinnatifida (sporophyll, frond, stipe) were investigated. The algal materials were extracted with HCl (pH 2.0, 3 h at 70℃) to prepare fucoidan, and the remaining solid was continuously re-extracted with Na₂CO₃ (pH 10.0, 70℃, 3 h) to prepare alginic acid. The fucoidan and alginic acid contents in the sporophyll, frond, and stipe were 11.14%, 3.84%, and 1.73% and 22.04%, 37.14%, and 31.74%, respectively. The content of fucoidan and alginate depends on the part extracted. The fucoidan extracted from the sporophyll mainly consists of fucose and galactose, but the fucoidan extracted from frond and stipe contains mannose in addition to fucose and galactose. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of fucoidan and alginate suggests the presence of sulfate groups (1261 and 840 cm^-1) and carboxyl groups (1626 and 1419 cm^-1), respectively. Alginate solutions (5%) had a low viscosity of 10.84-31.63 mPa·s. The activation energies of fucoidan and sodium alginate were 14.45-18.38 kJ/mol and 18.61-22.06 kJ/mol, respectively. The D-mannuronic acid/L-guluronic acid (M/G) ratios of alginate showed a relatively high (frond, 3.72; stipe, 2.88; and sporophyll, 1.80).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 1974

Gracilaria verrucosa and Gelidium amansii collected from Wando, Yeosoo and Namhae districts Gracilaria sp. imported from Manila, and Ecklonia cava from Cheju island were investigated to raise the extraction yield of agar or alginic acid. The results are summarized as follows. In agar extraction from domestic seaweeds, Gelidium sp. showed 8-10% yield increase by gamma-irradiation whereas Gracilaria sp. exhibited no effect. In Manila seaweed, gamma-irradiation (1.5 Mrad) caused 25-30% increase in agar extraction and the properties of agar sample by these methods were acceptable. In alginic acid extraction from Ecklonia sp., gamma-irradiation (0.3 Mrad) showed 6% yield increase.