• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.133-141
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• 2007

There are produced more than 600,000 tons of seaweeds every year along the coast of the Korea. Jeonnam province, south-west coast area, of Korea is producing 93% of total amounts of seaweeds. The laver, sea mustard, and tangleweed maintain stability in the output and has been exported as a simple product processing through drying or salting. It was evaluated the low value-added products and limited the expansion for the consumption of seaweeds. The seaweeds contains 40-60% carbohydrate and structurally different compared with land plant. The dietary fiber from seaweeds has been known the function of facilitating the bowl movement, excretion the heavy metal in the body, lowering the blood cholesterol level, anti-coagulant of blood, and anticancer. Especially, brown algae including sea mustard, seaweed fusiforme, and tangleweed contains alginic acid, laminarin, mannitol, fucoidan which are lowering the blood cholesterol level, lowering blood pressure, and fusion of blood clot. Agar-agar, carrageenan, and porphyran compound in red algae are known to antimutagenicity and anticoagulant function. In spite of potential of seaweed as a main bio-resource, there are lack of research to facilitate the consumption with its functional properties and consumers are unsatisfied with simple processing products. Also, the seaweed by-product dump into the sea and cause pollution of the seawater. Therefore, there are needed the scheme to promote the consumption of seaweeds. The development of value-added products, finding functional properties from seaweeds, development the functional feed for animal using seaweed by-products, and utilization of unused algae for food or other industrial uses will increase fisherman's income as well as serve as an aid for the people health due to its functional properties. Using by-product of seaweed and unexploited seaweed are needed to development of bio-degradable food packaging material and functional feed for animal.