• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.231-235
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• 2005

A limited number of studies have been conducted on the bioactivity of Callophyllis japonica (C. japonica), which is a red seaweed that is traditional in the oriental diet. In this report, the hepatoprotective effect of C. japonica was studied in a carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)-induced$ hepatotoxicity model in rats. A single intraperitoneal injection of 1.25 ml/kg of 20% $CCl_4$ in olive oil produced an elevated level of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and increased enzyme activity of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT). Pre-treatment with C. japonica (150 mg/kg/d) for 3 days in $CCl_4-injected$ rats reduced the levels of SGPT and SGOT compared with control levels (P < 0.05), while higher doses (300 and 600 mg/kg) were ineffective. The administration of C. japonica (150 mg/kg/d) for 3 days after the $CCl_4$ injection in rats was ineffective at reducing SGPT and SGOT. The histopathological findings in each group largely agreed with the biochemical data. The results of this study support the suggestion that C. japonica has a hepatoprotective effect on chemical-induced liver injury.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 1976

Alkali-treated red algae, Gracilaria sp. was irradiated with various doses of cobalt-60 gamma-rays and the yeild and properties of agar extracted from the seaweed were examined and compared with the quality of commercial agar powder after irradiation. Extraction yield of agar from irradiated seaweed was proportionally increased as the radiation dose was raised up to 2 Mrad whereas it tended to decrease slightly thereafter. Gelation ability, gelation point, gel hardness and specific viscosity of the agar were increased up to 1 Mrad and decreased at higher dose levels while its melting point, total nitrogen, crude ash and total sulfur decreased up to 1 Mrad level and remained unchanged thereafter. Irradiation of commercial agar powder caused remarkable decreases in the gelation ability, specific viscosity and gel hardness and slight decreases in the gelation point and melting point. The pattern of alterations in the properties of agar samples differed whether the polysaccharide was irradiated in free state or bound state in seaweed.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2010

Seogundo is a small island adjacent to the southern coast of Jeju Island and connected to it by a boulder beach at low tide Surveys of this area were conducted from 2001 to 2009 to enumerate the mollusks there and also to examine their diversity, relative abundance, and ecological relationships. Both the boulder beach itself and several large tide pools were studied, including the coarse sand substrate and several species of seaweed and coralline algae found in the tide pools. Of the 121 species obtained or observed, there were 97 gastropods, 16 bivalves, and 8 polyplacophorans. Live specimens were obtained for about half of those species. About one third were found on rocky substrate, with the most common species being Nodilittorina radiata and Nerita japonica in the upper intertidal zone, N. radiata and Littorina brevicula in the middle intertidal, and Turbo (Lunella) coronata coreensis and Acanthopleura japonica in the lower intertidal and shallow subtidal. The seaweeds and coralline algae contained about 40% of all mollusk species. The most common mollusks in two species of brown seaweed were Ittibittum parcum, Musculus nanus, and Euplica scripta. In a species of red seaweed, Komaitrochus pulcher was the most frequent, as in the coralline algae, along with M. nanus. The coarse sand in the tidepools contained about 25% of the species, with the Cerithiidae having the largest number. A sample of beach drift contained 17 species, with Bittium aleutaceum and Rissoina (Phosinella) pura being most common. Most species, about 60%, were found in a variety of habitats, especially the marine flora; few species exhibited any habitat preferences. Biographically, Jeju Island is part of the Warm Temperate Northwest Pacific Province and the East China Sea ecoregion with a strong faunal affinity with southern Japan, eastern China, and northeastern Taiwan. Zonal-geographical groupings reveal that the fauna is mainly subtropical-low boreal, preferring moderately warm water, with a somewhat smaller number of tropical-subtropical species.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.522-526
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• 2014

Pyropia, economic red algae species, have been cultivated in Korea (referred to as 'gim'), Japan ('nori'), and China ('zicai') for over 300 years. Vegetable seaweed Pyropia species are sold in the public markets in various forms as commercial seafoods. In Korea, two kinds of Pyropia seafood made with species of Pyropia and Ulva (sea lettuce, referred to as 'parae') are also sold. These are referred to as 'parae-gim' (with Pyropia spp. and U. linza) and 'gamtaegim' (with Pyropia spp. and U. prolifera). There is currently no method for identifying the seaweed species that comprise Pyropia seafood products. Therefore, we developed novel molecular markers to identify Ulva species in commercial Pyropia seafoods. Based on rbcL molecular markers, we identified informative characteristics to discriminate U. linza and U. prolifera as seafood ingredients. Moreover, PCR with 3'-end mismatch primers successfully isolated the specific rbcL sequences of U. linza and U. prolifera from Pyropia seafoods. Therefore, our novel molecular markers will be useful for identifying the ingredient species of commercial seafoods.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.274-282
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• 2014

We examined seasonal variation in the structure of marine macroalgal communities at five sites around the Byeonsan Peninsula, Korea, from January to October 2011. Sixty eight species were identified, including 11 green, 17 brown and 40 red algae. Species richness was highest at Gyeokpo (51 species) followed by Sambal (47), Gosapo (34), Byeonsan (33), and Habgoo (18). Seaweed biomass ranged from 12.98 to 145.33 g dry $wt/m^2$, with maximum and minimum biomasses at Gyeokpo and Habgoo, respectively. Sargassum thunbergii was the representative alga species occupying 47.89% of the total biomass. The dominant seaweeds were S. thunbergii, Corallina pilulifera, Ulva spp, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, and Carpopeltis affinis. No distinctive vertical distribution of seaweeds was found because S. thunbergii, Ulva spp, and G. vermiculophylla were all distributed from high to low shore. Community indices were as follows: dominance index (DI), 0.44-0.61; richness index (R), 6.27-10.35; evenness index (J'), 0.38-0.59; and diversity index (H'), 1.48-1.71. Gyeokpo had the most biomass and highest species richness, and the lowest percentage of Ulva species. However, species richness declined at Gyeokpo, from 78 to 51 species within 10 years, implying that eutrophication and sedimentation from Mankyeong and Dongjin rivers have reduced the stability of seaweed communities.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.385-392
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• 2016

Seasonal variability in the algal community structure of intertidal zones was examined at six study sites in Marine National Parks, on the western and southern coasts of Korea from March to November 2015. A total of 193 species of algae, comprising 27 green, 40 brown and 126 red algae, were identified. Algal biomass averaged 101.50 g dry wt./m² with a maximal at Tonggae (168.12 g dry wt./m²) and minimum at Haseom (54.49 g dry wt./m²). The dominant seaweeds by biomass were Sargassum thunbergii at five sites (Tonggae, Haseom, Namdongri, Ando amd Sinjeonri), and S. fusiforme at Soando. Community indices measured as follows: dominance index (DI), 0.31–0.69; richness index (R), 7.30–11.43; evenness index (J'), 0.33–0.49; and diversity index (H'), 1.15–1.86. As evaluated using community indices and environmental states, the EEI (Ecological Evaluation Index) of the Marine National Park was “normal”. The present results indicate that seaweed community structures and indices could be used to evaluate the environmental status of coastal ecosystems.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.377-385
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Abundant consumption of seaweeds in the diet is epidemiologically linked to the reduction in risk of developing cancer. In larger cases, however, identification of particular seaweeds that are accountable for these effects is still lacking, hindering the recognition of competent dietary-based chemo preventive approaches. The aim of this research was to establish the antiproliferative potency and angiosuppressive mode of action of Stoechospermum marginatum seaweed methanolic extract using various experimental models. MATERIALS/METHODS: Among the 15 seaweeds screened for antiproliferative activity against Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cell line, Stoechospermum marginatum extract (SME) was found to be the most promising. Therefore, it was further investigated for its anti-proliferative activity in-vitro against choriocarcinoma (BeWo) and non-transformed Human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells, and for its anti-migratory/tube formation activity against HUVEC cells in-vitro. Subsequently, the angiosuppressive activity of S. marginatum was established by inhibition of angiogenesis in in-vivo (peritoneal angiogenesis and chorioallantoic membrane assay) and ex-vivo (rat cornea assay) models. RESULTS: Most brown seaweed extracts inhibited the proliferation of EAT cells, while green and red seaweed extracts were much less effective. According to the results, SME selectively inhibited proliferation of BeWo cells in-vitro in a dose-dependent manner, but had a lesser effect on HEK 293 cells. SME also suppressed the migration and tube formation of HUVEC cells in-vitro. In addition, SME was able to suppress VEGF-induced angiogenesis in the chorio allantoic membrane, rat cornea, and tumor induced angiogenesis in the peritoneum of EAT bearing mice. A decrease in the microvessel density count and CD31 antigen staining of treated mice peritoneum provided further evidence of its angiosuppressive activity. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, the data underline that VEGF mediated angiogenesis is the target for the angiosuppressive action of SME and could potentially be useful in cancer prevention or treatment involving stimulated angiogenesis.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.389-397
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• 2011

The benthic algal community structures of the seaweed biomass, vertical distribution of dominant seaweeds, and species composition were examined on the rocky shores of Ongdo, Jusamdo, and Woejodo Islands, Korea, in August 2006. A total of 68 seaweeds were identified, comprising 5 green, 11 brown, and 52 red algae from the three study sites. The number of species at Ongdo (32 species) was less than that at Jusamdo (45 species) and Woejodo (44 species). Jusamdo exhibited the maximum seaweed biomass (73.99 g dry $wt/m^2$), while the minimum value was found at Woejodo (36.90 g dry $wt/m^2$). On the three islands, coarsely branched forms were the most dominant functional group in terms of species number and biomass among benthic algal species. The dominant species were Gelidium amansii, Chondrus ocellatus, and Chrysymenia wrightii at Ongdo, Sargasum thunbergii, Ulva pertusa, and Sargassum fusiformis at Jusamdo, and U. pertusa, Undaria pinnatifida, and Corallina pilulifera at Woejodo. Perennial seaweeds were abundant at Ongdo (G. amansii and C. ocellatus) and Jusamdo (S. thunbergii and S. fusiformis), whereas the sheet form of U. pertusa was relatively abundant at Woejodo Island.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.79-87
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• 2024

We seasonally examined marine macroalgal community structures in the subtidal zones at Gapado Island, Jeju, Korea, from February 2013 to November 2019. A total of 164 macroalgal species were identified, including 15 green, 40 brown, and 109 red algae. Species richness ranged from 54-106 species, with the maximum observed in 2013 and the minimum observed in 2015. Cladophora wrightiana var. minor, Ecklonia cava, Amphiroa anceps, Corallina aberrans, Corallina crassisima, Synarthrophyton chejuense, Sonderophycus capensis and Plocamium telfairiae occurred in all seasons. The average annual seaweed biomass was 1,258.22 g wet wt./m², ranging from 917.51 g/m² in 2017 to 1,551.95 g/m² in 2014. E. cava was the most dominant species, accounting for 46.57% of the total seaweed biomass. The subdominant species were P. telfairiae and A. anceps, comprising 8.64% (108.75 g/m²) and 6.65% (83.61 g/m²) of the total biomass, respectively. The vertical distribution of subtidal seaweeds were represented by E. cava and P. telfairiae at 5-20 m, A. anceps at 10-20 m, C. aberrans and C. crassisima at 5 m and C. wrightiana var. minor at 10 m. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups: group A (2014-2018), group B (2019) and group C (2013), indicating significant differences in the annual seaweed community.

• ALGAE
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2018

Red algal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNAs) can provide useful information on species identification. mtDNAs of Pyropia / Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) have shown diverse variation in their size and gene structure. In particular, the introns and intronic open reading frames found in the ribosomal RNA large subunit gene (rnl) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) significantly vary the mitochondrial genome size in Pyropia / Porphyra species. In this study, we examined the exon / intron structure of rnl and cox1 genes of Pyropia yezoensis at the intraspecific level. The combined data of rnl and cox1 genes exhibited 12 genotypes for 40 P. yezoensis strains, based on the existence of introns. These genotypes were more effective to identify P. yezoensis strains in comparison to the traditional DNA barcode cox1 marker (5 haplotypes). Therefore, the variation in gene structure of rnl and cox1 can be a novel molecular marker to discriminate the strains of Pyropia species.