Kinds Of Seaweeds Research Articles

Anti-Allergic Inflammatory Effect of Agarum cribrosum and Its Phlorotannin Component, Trifuhalol A, against the Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Asthma Model.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease involving structural changes to the respiratory system and severe immune responses mediated by allergic cytokines and pro-inflammatory mediators. Agarum cribrosum (AC) is a kind of seaweed which contains a phlorotannin, trifuhalol A. To evaluate its anti-allergic inflammatory effect against asthma, an ovalbumin inhalation-induced mouse asthma model was used. Histologic observations proved that trifuhalol A is minimizing the lung and tracheal structure changes as well as the infiltration of eosinophils and mast cells against ovalbumin inhalation challenge. From the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, ovalbumin-specific IgE and Th2-specific cytokines, IL-4, -5, and -13, were reduced with trifuhalol A treatment. In addition, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α concentrations in lung homogenate were also significantly reduced via trifuhalol A treatment. Taken together, trifuhalol A, isolated from AC, was able to protect lung and airways from Th2-specific cytokine release, and IgE mediated allergic inflammation as well as the attenuation of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in lung, which results in the suppression of eosinophils and the mast cells involved asthmatic pathology.

Assessment of intertidal seaweed biomass based on RGB imagery.

The Above Ground Biomass (AGB) of seaweeds is the most fundamental ecological parameter as the material and energy basis of intertidal ecosystems. Therefore, there is a need to develop an efficient survey method that has less impact on the environment. With the advent of technology and the availability of popular filming devices such as smartphones and cameras, intertidal seaweed wet biomass can be surveyed by remote sensing using popular RGB imaging sensors. In this paper, 143 in situ sites of seaweed in the intertidal zone of GouQi Island, ShengSi County, Zhejiang Province, were sampled and biomass inversions were performed. The hyperspectral data of seaweed at different growth stages were analyzed, and it was found that the variation range was small (visible light range < 0.1). Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Most of the variance is explained in the first principal component, and the load allocated to the three kinds of seaweed is more than 90%. Through Pearson correlation analysis, 24 parameters of spectral features, 9 parameters of texture features (27 in total for the three RGB bands) and parameters of combined spectral and texture features of the images were selected for screening, and regression prediction was performed using two methods: Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosted Decision Tree (GBDT), combined with Pearson correlation coefficients. Compared with the other two models, GBDT has better fitting accuracy in the inversion of seaweed biomass, and the highest R2 was obtained when the top 17, 17 and 11 parameters with strong correlation were selected for the regression prediction by Pearson’s correlation coefficient for Ulva australis, Sargassum thunbergii, and Sargassum fusiforme, and the R2 for Ulva australis was 0.784, RMSE 156.129, MAE 50.691 and MAPE 28.201, the R2 for Sargassum thunbergii was 0.854, RMSE 790.487, MAE 327.108 and MAPE 19.039, and the R2 for Sargassum fusiforme was 0.808, RMSE 445.067 and MAPE 28.822. MAE was 180.172 and MAPE was 28.822. The study combines in situ survey with machine learning methods, which has the advantages of being popular, efficient and environmentally friendly, and can provide technical support for intertidal seaweed surveys.

Role of alginate in the mechanism by which brown seaweed Saccharina japonica intake alleviates an increase in blood pressure in 2-kidney, 1-clip renovascular hypertensive rats

ABSTRACT Background The intake of Saccharina japonica (SJ), a widely consumed brown seaweed, has been reported to decrease blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive rats. It has been suggested that this effect is related to an increase in fecal sodium excretion (SE) by alginate (Alg) to the gastrointestinal tract; however, the mechanism is still unclear. This study investigated how different seaweeds with different amounts of Alg suppressed BP increase and enhanced fecal SE in 2-kidney, 1-clip renovascular hypertensive (2K1C) rats given SJ diet. Methods Rats with 2K1C or sham operation were fed a normal-/high-salt diet with some kinds of seaweeds (5.0%, w/w) or SJ extract with different Alg contents for 6 weeks. We measured systolic BP every week and mean arterial pressure at the end, and measured the total and molecular weights of Alg in each seaweed. Then, we evaluated the relationship of the Alg amount in each seaweed with the suppression of BP increase in 2K1C rats. Finally, urinary and fecal SE for 24 h was measured. Results The intake of SJ, SJ extract, Saccharina ochotensis (SO) blades and SO roots suppressed BP increase in 2K1C rats, but the strength was not proportional to the amounts of Alg contained in the seaweeds. Although SJ intake increased fecal SE in 2K1C rats fed a high-salt diet, the fecal SE was much less than urinary SE. Conclusion The sodium excretion in feces by Alg in SJ may not be one of the major mechanisms by which SJ intake attenuates hypertension in 2K1C rats.

A sustainable route from kelp to a porous MnO/C network anode for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries

Green and environmentally friendly methods have attracted much attention in the recent research of electrode materials. Natural resources with specific structure and properties are expected to be utilized, and high-performance anodes can be prepared by effectively compounding them with the active components. By choosing kelp with high content of protein as the carbon precursor, a nitrogen-containing MnO/C hybrid with high electrical connectivity has been designed and synthesized. As a kind of seaweed, kelp has an outstanding swelling property in salt solution and its cell membrane is rich in alginate, which is in favor of incorporating and coordinating with Mn2+ to form nanosized MnO particles. Moreover, kelp can be used as a template to build the unique network structure, which is conductive to accommodate the volume expansion of MnO during the cycles. The synthesized MnO/C hybrid reveals a superior electrochemical performance when applied to lithium-ion batteries. A high reversible capacity of 978 mAh g−1 can be retained at a current density of 0.2 A g−1. This synthesis strategy based on biomass provides a possibility for large-scale preparation of high-capacity electrode materials.

Teeth(bovine incisors) whitening effect using seaweed

Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the whitening effect of algae by using the rainy season as a preclinical step to develop functional whitening detergent using algae. Method: The algae were stained for 7 days using algae, and the sample was treated over 14 days for 24 hours. The tooth color was measured using VITA Easyshade V. Results: The color changes depending on the type of beverage, coffee, green tea, or grape juice were highest for coffee. As shown, leaf Kosiregi and green gold continued to brighten on the 14th day. The amount of color change was most effective in the green seaweed regardless of its concentration, and in the order of starfish, leaf stalk, and spine. The higher the concentration of the sample, the better the whitening effect. The higher the concentration of turnips, the higher the color change was, at 100 for foliar and green laver at 250. Conclusion: Therefore, as a result of this study, there was a difference in the concentration and application time of the four kinds of seaweeds, but all showed a tooth whitening effect.

Analysis of Using Bondre System to Cultivate Three Kinds of Seaweed Through Different Seed Weights in The Early Summer at Ekas Bay, Jerowaru, East Lombok.

Analysis of Using Bondre System to Cultivate Three Kinds of Seaweed Through Different Seed Weights in The Early Summer at Ekas Bay, Jerowaru, East Lombok.

IDENTIFIKASI POTENSI PENGEMBANGAN DAN TAMPILAN FISIK KIMIA RUMPUT LAUT DI BEBERAPA WILAYAH PERAIRAN NTT

The aim of the research is to identify sea weed potential development, sea weed for carragenan, and sea weed post harvest handling in several coastal area in East Nusa Tenggara that is Alor, Sumba, Sabu, and Kupang. The research have done in two stage. The first stage is identify potential developmen and the kind of seaweed, time of harvest, and post harvest handling. The second stage is extraction to indentify functional structure seaweed that is classified in kappa carragenan or iota carragenan. Result of the research show that seaweed that is cultivated at Alor and Tablolong Kupang coastal classified Estriatum Sakul . This seaweed  have clump with short branch, relatively small thallus diameter and cylindris, green colour and slick surface.The harvesting time of this seaweed aproximately 45 - 60 days. Seaweed from coastal Sabu and Sumba classified as Eucheuma cottonii with relatively long branch and cylindris talus. Seaweed from Sabu have red green colour and from Sumba have green yellow. The harvesting time of seaweed from Sabu and Sumba approximately 30 - 60 days. The other seaweed from Tablolong Kupang classified Eucheuma cottonii with different colour that is red . This seaweed have big and long talus. All of the seaweed from this several coastal area have carragenan functional structure is kappa or iota carrageenan. the most high rendemen carragenan is Estriatum Sakul from Alor with 47,5 %, followed by Eucheuma cottonii 41,5 %from Tablolong Kupang and Estriatum Sakul 35,41 %  Key Words: Identification, Seaweed, Carragenan

Removal of elemental mercury from flue gas using sargassum chars modified by NH4Br reagent

Ocean contains huge biomass resources. Actively developing marine biomass resources has great significance to human development. In this work, a kind of seaweed, sargassum, is used to prepare chars by pyrolysis. The sargassum chars are modified by NH4Br reagents using a simple impregnation method, and are applied to capture Hg0 from flue gas. The physicochemical properties of the samples are investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), proximate and ultimate analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), respectively. The effects of pyrolysis temperature, reaction temperatures, loading values and the components of flue gas such as O2, water vapor, NO and SO2 on mercury removal efficiency are studied. Mercury removal mechanism, kinetics and thermodynamics are also investigated. The results show that increasing pyrolysis temperature, reaction temperature, loading value, O2 concentration and NO concentration enhances mercury removal. Low concentrations of SO2 and H2O are beneficial to mercury removal, and high concentrations of SO2 and H2O inhibit mercury removal. C-Br and C=O covalent groups are the major chemisorption sites for Hg0 removal. Finally, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of mercury removal are also obtained.

Spawning characteristics of Clupea pallasii in the coastal waters off Gyeongnam, Korea, during spawning season

The purpose of this study is to research the characteristics of spawning grounds of Clupea pallasii found at 1 spawning ground located in the coast of Yeongun-ri, Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, and 3 stations in Jinhae Bay. Diving observation was performed from January to June, 2014 at the coast of Yeongun-ri, and from February to June, 2016 at Jinhae Bay after total 4 stations (A: Gusan-myeon, B: Haengamdong, C: Hacheong-myeon, D: Jam-do) were constituted. During observation period, 1 spawning ground was found in Tongyeong area in January. In Jinhae Bay spawning grounds were found at 3 stations (A, B, D) out of 4 stations in February. Regarding the surrounding environment of spawning ground found at Yeongunri, Tongyeong, various kinds of seaweeds were distributed up to 1–5 m depth, and many branch type red algae were distributed. In case of Jinhae Bay, seaweeds were widely distributed from shallow water to 5 m depth. In addition, the scope that eggs were attached was considerably wide compared to Tongyeong area, and they were found at all the 3 spots, so C. pallasii is thought to use Jinhae Bay for its spawning ground widely. Eggs were attached from the surface to 3–4 m, and like Tongyeong area, eggs were attached to mostly branch type of red algae. The results of this study suggest that the spawning season of the C. pallasii in coast waters off Gyeongnam is until mid-February.

Soil algae in urban ecosystems of the city of Mariupol

In the present time, a special attention is paid, worldwide, to the investigation of the biodiversity in ecosystems, as a important characteristic of the ecological investigations. The processes of urbanization of natural landscapes have caused some changes of biological factor of the soil formation and also of the formation of artificial ecological systems. The algae are an indispensable part of ecosystems, performing an important regulatory function in them. So aim of the research was to determine the systematic, environmental features, species composition of algae communities of soil in the city Mariupol (Donetsk region). Structural features of algae soil in habitats with various character of action of factors of urbanized environment are subjected to benchmark analysis. Results of use algal groups for monitoring soils of urbanized ecosystem are described. Problems of algae participation in maintenance of surface ecosystems stability under anthropogenic pressure on the environment have been discussed. Species composition and indication properties of soil algae as biological pollution indicators of the protected of the urbanized soils have been studied. The results of researches of various soil algal flora of arboreal plantations and lawns of the Mariupol industrial city are resulted. Conclusions about the influence of various kinds of anthropogenic effect upon of species diversity algae are given. Specific lines of algal groups of arboreal plantations and lawns of urban ecosystems are shown. The variety of the soil algae species has been investigated. Systematic structure at the level of orders, families, genera correlation of algae soil, life-forms are considered. The green and blue-green algae were found to be prevail, it was proved that they are the basis of dominate species complex. The greatest quantity of kinds of seaweed is allocated in zonal soils. The leading position in all investigated groups take representatives of Chlorophyta, except of the steppe phytocenoses, where the most various is the section of Cyanophyta. The increasing of species diversity of Xanthophyta is observed in the soils of background parts of man-planted forest phytocenoses. They are traditionally considered to be the index of purity of soil. Low species diversity of algoflora is a peculiarity of the city soils. Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta prevail, one-cell Xanthophyta are poor developed. A checklist of soil algal flora of the city of Mariupol is includes 78 species from five divisions: Chlorophyta – 32 (41,0 %), Cyanophyta – 25 (32,1 %), Xanthophyta – 9 (11,5 %), Bacillariophyta – 8 (10,3 %), Eustigmatophyta – 4 (5,1 %). Structural features of algae soil in habitats with various character of action of factors of urbanized environment are subjected to benchmark analysis. Including arboreal plantations 68 species: Chlorophyta – 27 (39,7 %), Cyanophyta – 20 (29,4 %), Xanthophyta – 12 (17,7 %), Bacillariophyta – 6 (8,8 %), Eustigmatophyta – 3 (4,4 %); in lawns 49 species – 23 (46,9 %), – 13 (26,5 %), – 4 (8,2 %), – 7 (14,3 %), – 2 (4,1 %) accordingly. On results researches of quantity of algal flora of urbanized soils the change of quantity is marked on the whole toward a decline. Abundance and biomass of soil algae of different in various ecosystems are given. Fluctuation ranges in biomass of algae of arboreal plantations and lawns have been registered. The species composition, ecological structure algae of arboreal plantations and lawns was analyzed. Ecological structure of algal communities of arboreal plantations and lawns: Ch16Р15С12X8H6B5M2CF2ampf2 (68) and Ch15P10В6С6Н5Х3М1NF1CF1amph1 (49) accordingly. Among the algae life forms Ch-, P-, X- and C-forms are domination (58 %).

POSISI TANAM RUMPUT LAUT DENGAN MODIFIKASI SISTEM JARING TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN DAN PRODUKSI Eucheuma Cottonii DI PERAIRAN PANTURA BREBES

Eucheuma cottoni is a kind of seaweed which is potential as an export comodity and commonly culturated in the coastal area Brebes regency has a coastal line of approximately 53 km including 14 village and 5 subdistrict from Randusanga wetan to Limbangan Losari This coastline has not been used optimally. The demands for the seaweed is increasing, so that the seaweed culture should be developed continually. This study was aumed to find out the growth and production of Eucheuma cottoni which is the highest and planning position by modifying net system. This study has been done from June-October 2012. The experimental design was randomized block design. The treatment include (I) Planting position, vertical : (P1), horizontal (P2), system modification: (M1) single string, (M2)waring net (M3) tube net, (M4) tubular net. The growth of cottoni is increasing following the age either for the vertical on horizontal by net system modification. The highest result(10,83 g/days) were reached for the treatment of open waring net (7150 g/m2), with the water condition of in Pandansari with salinity 32-35 ‰ for Temperatur 27-30 C and pH 7-8.

Dietary Salt and Health: UMAMI Seasoning as an Attempt to Reduce Salt Intake

Sodium in salt is a major factor in various non-communicable diseases. These include high blood pressure, stroke, stomach cancer and others. In Japan before the 1970’s, salt intake was about 15 g/day/person and the leading cause of death was stroke, especially brain hemorrhage. Through various types of nutrition education designed to reduce salt intake, the prevalence of stroke has been decreasing dramatically; however, it is still one of the leading causes of death. The highest number of patients are those with illnesses related to high salt intake and themedical cost of these illnesses may be greater than 50% of all medical costs. Many other countries may have similar problems. To reduce salt intake, UMAMI is commonly recommended in Japan and this actually has favorable effects;however, this has not yet been fully supported by scientific evidence. Among UMAMI seasonings, glutamate from kelp, (a kind of seaweed) is common in Japan. Since the UMAMI in kelp was found to be monosodium glutamate,artificial production of it was developed and is now used world-wide. In this article, we would like to review the role of salt in the body, its effects on health and sickness, attempts to reduce salt intake, and effective reduction methods, especially those using monosodium glutamate.

Effects of the Seaweed Bed Construction Using the Mixture of Steelmaking Slag and Dredged Soil on the Growth of Seaweeds

Supply of Fe ions is considered to be effective for the growth of kelp (a kind of seaweed). In the present research, a demonstration experiment in which seaweed beds/shoals were formed using a mixture of steelmaking slag and dredged soil was carried out in a marine area of Kawasaki City, Japan. The average strength of the mound for seaweed beds, which was made of a mixture of dredged soil and steelmaking slag, was 109.7 kN/m2. The shape of the mound was stable during the experiment period. The Fe content of the water above the mound made of the mixture was around 5 ppb higher than that above mounds made of natural sand. The average dry weight of the soft seaweed (Undariapinnatifida:wakame in Japanese) and brown seaweed (Sargassumhorneri) taken from mounds of the mixture including steelmaking slag were respectively 1.1 times and 2.1 times as much as that from mounds of natural sand. These results indicate that Fe ions, which dissolved from the steelmaking slag, have a positive effect on the growth of brown seaweed.

Platinum Recovery from Hydrochloric Acid Leaching Solution of Cobalt-Rich Crust by Seaweed Biosorption and Activated Carbon

In order to recover trace of platinum (Pt) from hydrochloric acid (HCl) leaching solution of Cobalt-Rich Crust (CRC), the absorption properties of four kinds of seaweeds (Undaria pinnatifida, Laminaria angustata, Enteromorpha linza and Gloiopeltis tenax) and activated carbon were studied. At first, their adsorption abilities for Pt ion as well as selective adsorption properties for other coexisting metal ions contained in CRC (including iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu)) were investigated by using artificial solutions. Finally, the application to CRC HCl leaching solution was also carried out. The results showed that all seaweeds achieved their best Pt adsorption capacity only at pH 2, whereas activated carbon possessed a high Pt adsorption ability over a wide pH range from pH 0 to 6 as well as in HCl solution up to 3 mol/L. Regarding the CRC leaching solution obtained by 0.5 mol/L HCl and 1 vol.% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 46.9% and 100% Pt was recovered by Enteromorpha linza and activated carbon, respectively. It was found that seaweed and activated carbon are both effective adsorbents for recovering Pt from HCl leaching solution of CRC.

갱년기 유도 흰쥐에서 감태 추출물이 골 대사 지표물질의 변화에 미치는 영향

갱년기의 여성에는 여러 폐경 증후들이 나타나는데, 특히 에스트로겐의 감소로 인한 골 손실의 증가 등으로 골다공증질환의 발병율이 높아지게 된다. 이러한 갱년기 증후군을 치료하기 위해 호르몬 대체 요법으로 치료를 하고 있으나 유방암과 자궁암 등의 부작용에 대한 논쟁의 여지가 있어 갱년기 증후군을 치료하는데 양면성을 가진다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 쉽게 섭취 할 수 있으며, 부작용이 없는 해조류인 감태 추출물을 이용하여 in vivo 실험을 통해 갱년기 장애 시 나타날 수 있는 골 손실에 미치는 영향을 검토하였다. 난소 절제술을 시행한 군들에서 전체적으로 체중이 증가하였으나, 난소절제 후 감태 추출물을 투여에 의한 체중 감소는 나타나지 않아 감태 추출물이 체중 감소에는 크게 영향을 미치지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 난소절제 시(OVX-CON) 에스트로겐 결핍으로 bone turnover가 증가되어 비 난소절제(SHAM)군에 비해 혈장 중의 ALP의 활성이 증가되었으나, 난소 절제 후 감태 추출물을 투여한 군에서 그 활성이 유의적으로 감소하는 경향이 나타났다. 이것은 난소 절제 후 에스트로겐의 분비가 감소되는데 반해 감태 추출물 투여가 에스트로겐 대체 작용을 함으로써 난소절제로 인한 골 손실 정도를 완화시켜 준 것으로 추측되어진다. 골 용해 지표인 혈액 중의 CTx는 난소절제군이 비 절제군에 비해 높은 수준을 보여 난소 절제군에 있어 골 용해가 증가되었음을 나타내었다. 반면 감태 추출물의 투여로 인해 CTx 함량이 감소하였으며, EC-200군의 경우 SHAM과 비슷한 수준으로 나타났다. 이는 난소절제로 인해 bone turnover가 증가된 상태에서 감태 추출물의 투여로 bone turnover가 감소하여 골 흡수 저해 효과를 타나낸 것으로 추정된다. 또한 결합조직 중의 collagen 함량은 난소절제로 인하여 감소하였으나, 감태 추출물의 투여에 의해 점진적으로 회복되는 경향을 나타내었다. 이상의 결과로부터 estrogen 부족으로 인한 골 손실의 예방에 감태가 유익한 효과를 가지며, 이를 활용한 기능성식품 개발도 가능할 것으로 기대되어 진다. Menopause is often associated with the incidence of several chronic diseases including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective regimen that has been found to prevent these diseases in postmenopausal women. However, HRT is accompanied by an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Ecklonia cava, a kind of seaweed, extract on bone turnover markers in symptomatic menopausal women. For this study, the following four groups of 9-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were evaluated over 6 weeks: normal rats (SHAM), ovariectomized rats (OVX-CON) and ovariectomized rats that were treated with Ecklonia cava extracts. The optimum extraction temperature and solvent of Ecklonia cava were found to be <TEX>$80^{\circ}C$</TEX> and 80% ethanol. We measured the osteocalcin and CTx content, enzyme ALP activity in serum and collagen content in the cartilage, bone, skin and lungs. We found that the levels of indicators of bone metabolism such as ALP, osteocalcin and CTx were lower in rats in the Ecklonia cava extract group than the OVX-CON group. In addition, the collagen contents in the bone, cartilage, skin and lungs decreased in response to ovariectomy, but the levels of collagen were greater in the bone of rats that were treated with Ecklonia cava extract than in the bone of rats in the OVX-CON group. According to these results, we were able to know the effects of Ecklonia cava extract on bone aging in ovariectomized rats. Consequently, we expect Ecklonia cava extract to have an effect on bone aging in postmenopausal women.

Inhibitory activities of extracts from several kinds of seaweeds and phlorotannins from the brown algaEcklonia stoloniferaon glucose-mediated protein damage and rat lens aldose reductase

Inhibitory activities of extracts from several kinds of seaweeds and phlorotannins from the brown alga<i>Ecklonia stolonifera</i>on glucose-mediated protein damage and rat lens aldose reductase

Preparation and properties of novel fishnet fibers with inhibitory effects on the adhesion of seaweeds

A novel Nylon-6 fiber with the anti-adhesion of seaweeds was prepared for the use of fishnet by the technique of graft modification. The modification was performed by UV radiation-induced graft polymerization of Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) onto Nylon-6 fibers, and to form crosslinked PAA hydrogels on the surface of them. The structure of the anti-adhesion fibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The mechanical properties and water retention capacity were measured, respectively. Three kinds of seaweeds (Chlorella, Dunaliella and Chrysophyte) were employed to evaluate the inhibitory effects on the adhesion. The results showed that Nylon-6 fibers modified by PAA hydrogels had a strong effect on the adhesion of the three kinds of seaweeds. The effects were improved with the increase of the grafting amount. Results from the mechanical analysis revealed that the tensile strength of the modified fibers decreased, however, the ratio of elongation increased with the increase of the grafting amount. The novel fibers also showed a good water retention capacity.

Adsorptive Separation of Metallic Pollutants onto Waste Seaweeds, Porphyra Yezoensis and Ulva Japonica

From two kinds of seaweeds, Porphyra yezoensis and Ulva japonica, adsorption gels for heavy metal ions were prepared by enhancing their adsorptive properties and diminishing the aqueous solubility. An environmental benign crosslinking using calcium have shown maximum adsorption capacity of 0.67 mol/kg dry gel for lead(II), which is slightly lower as compared to the adsorbents crosslinked with synthetic crosslinking agent (0.76 mol/kg). Fixed bed column studies for a binary mixture containing lead(II) and zinc(II) revealed that lead(II) can be mutually separated from zinc(II) with a concentration factor of 45.

Effects of Various Kinds of Edible Seaweeds in Diets on the Development of D-Galactosamine-Induced Hepatopathy in Rats

In the present study we investigated the effects of 11 kinds of edible seaweeds (6 brown and 5 red algae) which contain characteristic seaweed dietary fibers on the induction of D-GalN (D-galactosamine)-hepatopathy in rats (Exps. 1 and 2). Then, the efficacy of various components prepared from Gelidium sp., which was found to alleviate the hepatopathy in Exps. 1 and 2, was examined (Exp. 3). The rats were fed the diets containing various kinds of seaweeds (Exps. 1 and 2), or several components of Gelidium sp. such as total dietary fiber (TDF), soluble dietary fiber (SDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and dietary fiber-free components (DFFC) (Exp. 3), for 8 d. The rats in all experiments were injected with D-GalN (800 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally at the 7th day to induce liver injury and were sacrificed 24 h after the injection of D-GalN. The serum transaminase activities (ALT and AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined to evaluate the levels of hepatopathy. In Exp. 3, the total GSH concentration in the liver, plasma and cecal contents and organic acid concentration in cecal contents were also evaluated. In Exps. 1 and 2, repressive effects against D-GalN-hepatopathy were shown by four seaweeds Laminaria sp., Gelidium sp., Sargassum fulvellum and Eisenia bicyclis. In Exp. 3, it was found that protective activity in Gelidium sp. against D-GalN-hepatopathy existed not only in the SDF but also in the DFFC fraction. The results in Exp. 3 also indicated that the total GSH but not organic acid concentration in the cecal contents were significantly correlated with serum AST activity, suggesting that the protective effect of Gelidium sp. on D-GalN-hepatopathy in rats is related to GSH metabolism in the intestine.

Effect of Dietary Fiber in Edible Seaweeds on the Development of D-Galactosamine-Induced Hepatopathy in Rats

Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated the repressive effect of seaweeds (Laminaria sp., Sargassum fulvellum, Eisenia bicyclis and Gelidium sp.) against D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced hepatopathy. However, the mechanism by which these four seaweeds attenuate the D-GalN-hepatopathy has not been completely clarified. This study was carried out to determine the constituents of these seaweeds that protect rats against the D-GalN-hepatopathy. Male Wistar rats were fed for 8 d diets containing 5% seaweeds with or without the antibiotic neomycin (NEO) in experiment 1, and typical seaweed dietary fibers (laminaran, fucoidan, alginate, agar and kappa-carrageenan) of these seaweeds in experiment 2. On the 7th day, the rats were treated with D-GalN (1,900 mg in experiment 1 and 800 mg/kg in experiment 2) and then sacrificed 24 h after the injection of D-GalN. Their serum transaminase (aspartate and alanine aminotransferases: AST and ALT) activities were then determined. In experiment 1, the serum AST and ALT levels in the rats fed the four kinds of seaweeds without NEO were significantly low in comparison to that of the control group, but those with NEO were not significantly different among the groups. In experiment 2, the serum AST and ALT levels in the rats fed fucoidan were significantly low in comparison to those of the other groups fed the dietary fibers and the control. These results suggest that the protective effect of the three kinds of brown seaweeds Laminaria sp., Sargassum fulvellum and Eisenia bicyclis against D-GalN-hepatopathy was caused at least in part by fucoidan.