• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.209-214
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• 2014

With the continuing demand for new solutions in the development of effective and safe candidiasis therapies, we investigated the efficacy of an antifungal agent from the marine brown alga Eisenia bicyclis. The methanolic extract of E. bicyclis evinced potential antifungal activity against Candida species. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-soluble extract from E. bicyclis demonstrated the strongest antifungal activity against Candida species among five solvent-soluble extracts. Indeed, the EtOAc-soluble extract showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 4 to 8 mg/mL. Furthermore, the EtOAc-soluble extract considerably reversed high-level fluconazole resistance of Candida species. The MIC values of fluconazole against Candida species decreased substantially (from 64 to $4{\mu}g/mL$) in combination with the MIC of the EtOAc-soluble extract (4 mg/mL). The fractional inhibitory concentration indices of fluconazole ranged from 0.531 to 0.625 in combination with 4, 2, or 1 mg/mL of the EtOAc-soluble extract against Candida isolates, indicating that these combinations exert a marked synergistic effect against Candida isolates. These findings imply that compounds derived from E. bicyclis can be a potential source of natural antifungal agents against Candida species.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2015

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacterial fermentation on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of an edible brown alga, Eisenia bicyclis. Lactic acid bacteria were inoculated into and cultivated in E. bicyclis water extract. The antioxidant activity of the extract was assayed before and following fermentation. Antioxidant activity was determined by assaying the levels of radical scavenging activity against 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical and alkyl radical. The lactic acid bacterial fermentation of E. bicyclis extract resulted in enhanced antioxidant activity. The greatest enhancement of antioxidant activity was seen in the DPPH radical scavenging assay, in which E. bicyclis extract was fermented by Pediococcus pentosaceus MBP-34 strain for 12 h. This fermented extract also exhibited higher inhibitory activity (96.66%) on nitric oxide production compared with other lactic acid bacterial fermented extracts or raw extract (189.60%). In conclusion, fermentation by bacterial strain is an attractive strategy for developing value-added food ingredients.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.262-277
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• 2018

We seasonally examined marine macroalgal community structures and ocean environmental characteristics in subtidal zones at five sites on and around Jeju Island, Korea, from February 2013 to November 2015. A total of 186 macroalgal species were identified, including 18 green, 33 brown, and 135 red algae. During the study period, the number of species was highest at Gapado Island (125 species) followed by Bukchon (123 species), Sagye (122 species), Sinheung (122 species) and Sinchang (97 species). Ecklonia cava, Peyssonnelia caulifera, Synarthrophyton chejuense, Corallina aberrans and Corallina crassisima occurred at all study sites and in all seasons. The average annual biomass of seaweed was $1,125.10g\;wet\;wt./m^2$ and ranged from $899.77g/m^2$ at Sinheung to $1,452.00g/m^2$ at Gapado. A brown alga E. cava was the most dominant species, accounting for 49.84% ($560.78g/m^2$) of the total seaweed biomass. Subdominant species were C. aberrans and C. crassissima, comprising 6.83% ($76.79g/m^2$) and 5.98% ($67.28g/m^2$) of total biomass, respectively. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups: the Sagye/Sinheung group (group A), the Bukchon/Sinchang group (group B), and the Gapado group (group C), indicating significantdifferences in macroalgal communities between sites.

• ALGAE
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.165-174
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• 2014

Ecklonia cava is a common edible brown algae that is plentiful in Jeju Island of Republic of Korea. Polyphenols from E. cava have strong anti-inflammatory activity. However, a large number of the by-products from E. cava processing are discarded. In the present study, to utilize these by-products, we assessed the anti-inflammatory activity of the polyphenol-rich fraction (PRF) from E. cava processing by-product (EPB) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Four compounds, namely eckol, eckstolonol, dieckol, and phlorofucofuroeckol-A, were isolated and identified from PRF. We found that PRF suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 in the LPS-induced cells. Furthermore, the protective effect of PRF was investigated in vivo in LPS-stimulated inflammation zebrafish model. PRF had a protective effect against LPS-stimulated toxicity in zebrafish embryos. In addition, PRF inhibited LPS-stimulated reactive oxygen species and NO generation. According to the results, PRF isolated from EPB could be used as a beneficial anti-inflammatory agent, instead of discard.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.691-700
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• 2023

This study examined the seasonal variations of subtidal marine algal community structures along four sites in Jejudo Island, Korea, from February 2016 to November 2018. A total of 147 marine algal species were identified, including 13 green (8.84%), 26 brown (17.69%), and 108 red algae (73.47%). During the study period, the number of species was highest in Sagye (116 species) followed by numbers in Sinheung (98 species), Bukchon (90 species) and Sinchang (73 species). Ecklonia cava, Peyssonnelia caulifera, Synarthrophyton chejuense, Corallina aberrans and Corallina crassisima occurred at all study sites and in all seasons. The average annual biomass of marine algal flora was 746.29±88.85 g wet wt./m² and ranged from 652.25 g/m² at Sinheung to 979.91 g/m² at Sagye. The brown alga E. cava was the most dominant species, occupying 42.85% (319.80 g/m²) of the total seaweed biomass. Subdominant species were C. crassissima and Undaria pinnatifida, comprising 10.22% (76.29 g/m²) and 9.66% (72.13 g/m²), respectively. A similarity analysis showed that there were regional differences in the algal communities, with three distinct groups.

• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.243-251
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• 2011

Environmental conditions can influence the morphology of local biota through phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation. Macroalgal morphologies are often associated with wave-exposure conditions. We investigated the relationship between morphology and wave exposure in two common endemic subtidal macroalgae, Carpophyllum angustifolium and C. maschalocarpum, from the East Cape of New Zealand. Morphological comparisons were made between individuals from two sites and four different wave-exposure zones, as defined by fetch and barnacle composition. Of the seven morphological traits measured in C. angustifolium, only total length varied, and individuals were longer in more wave-exposed environments between the two exposure zones where the species were found. In contrast, total length, stipe thickness and vesicle presence all varied significantly between exposure zones in C. maschalocarpum. C. maschalocarpum specimens were shorter with thinner stipes, and fewer individuals had vesicles in the more wave-exposed zones. Morphological traits of both species also varied between sites, suggesting that other influences are important for determining species morphology. Further study is needed to investigate the role of phenotypic plasticity and genetic variability for driving morphological variation in C. angustifolium and C. maschalocarpum.

• ALGAE
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.253-263
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• 2011

Phenotypic plasticity was examined in the economically and ecologically important brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum in southwestern Nova Scotia, considering specifically how nutrient loading affected its vegetative and reproductive features. To determine this, we examined morphometric changes in A. nodosum from two sites receiving direct effluent impacts from a land-based finfish aquaculture facility and from two control sites, approximately 2 km away from the aquaculture facility in opposite directions. Fronds from test sites were significantly younger than from control sites (5 y vs. 8 y); however, fronds from farm sites were significantly larger (219 g vs. 90 g) because of their higher growth rates. Thalli from farm sites had greater reproductive potential, as shown by numbers of receptacle initials (797 initials vs. 281 initials). These results suggest limited nutrient inflows from land-based aquaculture may positively affect adjacent Ascophyllum populations by inducing higher growth rates. We conclude that the coordination of effluent management from land-based aquaculture with natural resource harvesting of A. nodosum may be beneficial. Further study is necessary to determine the limits of nutrient loading for this potentially beneficial outcome.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.249-255
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• 2013

Recently, algae has been considered as a potential anti-inflammatory source due to its distinctive habitat environment exposing to light and high oxygen concentration. In present study, anti-inflammatory effect of brown alga, Sargassum fullvellum ethanol extract (SFEE), was examined. SFEE inhibited not only the production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$) but also the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase 2 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells without affecting cell viability. SFEE also suppressed the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$), suggesting that SFEE could affect the expression of inflammation related cytokines and proteins through the regulation of NF-${\kappa}B$. Furthermore, formation of edema of the ear was 40% lower in mice treated with the highest dose (250 mg/kg) of SFEE than in the control mice. Thus, our study showed that SFEE may be a potential therapeutic anti-inflammatory drug.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.523-526
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• 2009

Biodegradable polybutylene succinate (BPS) multifilament were designed to degrade upon disposal by the action of afforestration of Ecklonia cava. Matured thalli of E. cava were collected at Jeju for zoospore collection and the substrate for zoospores were BPS multifilament (12 mm, 500 Td/96). The materials were made as nets of $1\;m^2$ with a cross stripes of 10 cm. The unit biodegradable nets bearing germlings of E. cava was moved into Wando where the place is conducting intensive seaweed cultivation in Korea for 5 months of nursery culture until they grew to 10 cm in length after which the nets were transplanted into the sea bed at Jeju at a depth of 12 m and the algal growth was monitored from May 2007 to December 2008. This is the first instance of using the BPS materials for seaweed afforestation to avoid any environmental problems.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2011

The antioxidant activities of a methanolic extract of Eisenia bicyclis and its organic solvent fractions, including dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and water ($H_2O$) fractions, were investigated. Scavenging activities against DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide anion, and peroxynitrite radicals were evaluated using electron spin resonance spectrometry; intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated by a 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay using RAW264.7 mouse macrophages. The antioxidant activities of the individual fractions were: EtOAc>n-BuOH>$CH_2Cl_2$ >$H_2O$. The EtOAc fraction exhibited strong radical scavenging activity and a significantly reduced ROS level in RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, the phenolic contents of the extract and fractions followed the same order as their radical scavenging activities. Our results indicate that E. bicyclis is a valuable natural source of antioxidants that may be applicable to the functional food industry.