“… Fig. 2 Adapted from Winberg et al ( 2014 ). The distribution of research effort across seaweed metabolites, phycological research papers based on a Google Scholar database search of n = 23,800 …”
Section: A Diversity Of Seaweed Extractsmentioning
A rapidly growing world population has highlighted the need to significantly increase food production in the context of a world with accelerating soil and water shortages as well as climatic stressors. This situation has generated new interest in the application of liquid seaweed extracts because of their potent plant growth-enhancing properties through metabolic benefits, triggering disease response pathways and increasing stress tolerance. The basis for these benefits is complex and poorly understood. Liquid seaweed extracts are complex and have been demonstrated to possess novel mechanisms for increasing crop productivity. The benefits of seaweed extracts to crops have previously been reviewed in the context of the northern hemisphere, but not in the context of Australia, its crops and unique stressors. This review considers the application of seaweed extracts in Australian agriculture by (i) introducing the history of the Australian liquid seaweed extract industry and (ii) focusing on evidence of Australian research related to seaweed extract composition, plant growth properties during plant establishment, pathogenic disease and new approaches to phenotyping the biological efficacy of seaweed extracts. This type of research is essential for future Australian agriculture to develop effective strategies for the use of liquid seaweed extracts.
“… Fig. 2 Adapted from Winberg et al ( 2014 ). The distribution of research effort across seaweed metabolites, phycological research papers based on a Google Scholar database search of n = 23,800 …”
Section: A Diversity Of Seaweed Extractsmentioning
A rapidly growing world population has highlighted the need to significantly increase food production in the context of a world with accelerating soil and water shortages as well as climatic stressors. This situation has generated new interest in the application of liquid seaweed extracts because of their potent plant growth-enhancing properties through metabolic benefits, triggering disease response pathways and increasing stress tolerance. The basis for these benefits is complex and poorly understood. Liquid seaweed extracts are complex and have been demonstrated to possess novel mechanisms for increasing crop productivity. The benefits of seaweed extracts to crops have previously been reviewed in the context of the northern hemisphere, but not in the context of Australia, its crops and unique stressors. This review considers the application of seaweed extracts in Australian agriculture by (i) introducing the history of the Australian liquid seaweed extract industry and (ii) focusing on evidence of Australian research related to seaweed extract composition, plant growth properties during plant establishment, pathogenic disease and new approaches to phenotyping the biological efficacy of seaweed extracts. This type of research is essential for future Australian agriculture to develop effective strategies for the use of liquid seaweed extracts.
“…This is due to important functional roles of these metabolites in a range of biological processes including cell mediation and immune responses (Warude and Joshi 2006;Rubio-Rodríguez et al 2010;Calder and Yaqoob 2009;Kumari et al 2010;Mohamed et al 2012;Smit 2004). Research in medical and health applications of seaweed metabolites now dominate the publication of phycology related scientific literature (Winberg et al 2014). There is particular promise for chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers of the digestive system (Vo et al 2012;O'Sullivan et al 2010) (Fig.…”
Increasingly, macroalgae are being recognised as a growth opportunity for functional foods and nutritional security in the future. Dominating traits of interest are metabolites that function as anti-inflammatories and are antiproliferative. However, seaweeds from the northern hemisphere dominate this field of research. Australia has a unique flora of macroalgae, and it is poorly understood which species should be targeted for cultivation towards food and health markets. Here, six Australian marine macroalgae were selected for screening of one anti-inflammatory group; n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFA profiles were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis. Thirty-one fatty acids (FA) were identified across the six macroalgal species with C16:0 the dominant FA in all samples, variations across taxa in the saturated FA C10:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0 and variations in monounsaturated FA attributed to C16:1 n-7 and C18:1 n-9. For PUFA profiles, all six species had significantly different n-6/n-3 ratios, while the green seaweed Ulva species possessed the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio of 0.4, along with a 2-fold higher C18:3 n-3 to C18:2 n-6 content. Ulva sp. was the only species that contained docosahexaenoic acid. Extracts of both the Ulva sp. and Hormosira banksii showed selective cytotoxicity towards a human pancreatic cancer cell line, while the nonpolar extracts of all six algae species strongly inhibited production of the inflammatory-mediator nitric oxide. Abstract Increasingly macroalgae are being recognized as a growth opportunity for functional foods and nutritional security in the future. Dominating traits of interest are metabolites that function as anti-inflammatories and are antiproliferative. However seaweeds cultivated in the northern hemisphere dominate this field of research. Australia has a unique flora of macroalgae and it is poorly understood which species should be targeted for cultivation towards food and health markets. Herein, six Australian marine macroalgae were selected for screening of one antiinflammatory group; n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFA profiles were determined using gas chromatography -mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis. Thirty-one fatty acids (FA) were identified across the six macroalgal species with C16:0 the dominant FA in all samples, variations across taxa in the saturated FA C10:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0 and variations in monounsaturated FA attributed to C16:1 n-7 and C18:1 n-9. For PUFA profiles, all six species had significantly different n-6/n-3 ratios, while the green seaweed Ulva sp. possessed the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio of 0.4, along with a 2-fold higher C18:3 n-3 to C18:2 n-6 content. Ulva sp. was the only species that contained docosahexaenoic acid. Extracts of both the Ulva sp. and H. banksii showed selective cytotoxicity towards a human pancreatic cancer cell line, while the non-polar extracts of all six algal species strongly inhibited production of the inflammatory-mediator nitric ...
“…Some of them play structural roles in the cell wall composition, while others represent a sort of energy storage. Little is known about other physiological functions of SPs [ 131 , 132 ]; for example, they have been suggested to confer resistance against desiccation and osmotic stress in marine plants [ 133 ]. In addition, SPs have also been found in marine sponges, where they are presumably involved in species-specific cell aggregation and structural integrity, resembling the structural function of glycosaminoglycans in the connective tissues of mammals [ 134 ].…”
In the last few decades, the thinning of the ozone layer due to increased atmospheric pollution has exacerbated the negative effects of excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and skin cancer has become a major public health concern. In order to prevent skin damage, public health advice mainly focuses on the use of sunscreens, along with wearing protective clothing and avoiding sun exposure during peak hours. Sunscreens present on the market are topical formulations that contain a number of different synthetic, organic, and inorganic UVR filters with different absorbance profiles, which, when combined, provide broad UVR spectrum protection. However, increased evidence suggests that some of these compounds cause subtle damage to marine ecosystems. One alternative may be the use of natural products that are produced in a wide range of marine species and are mainly thought to act as a defense against UVR-mediated damage. However, their potential for human photoprotection is largely under-investigated. In this review, attention has been placed on the molecular strategies adopted by marine organisms to counteract UVR-induced negative effects and we provide a broad portrayal of the recent literature concerning marine-derived natural products having potential as natural sunscreens/photoprotectants for human skin. Their chemical structure, UVR absorption properties, and their pleiotropic role as bioactive molecules are discussed. Most studies strongly suggest that these natural products could be promising for use in biocompatible sunscreens and may represent an alternative eco-friendly approach to protect humans against UV-induced skin damage.
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