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Seaweed Company in Stornoway has won the Crown Estates Marine Business Award for seaweed venture, creating nearly 40 jobs in the Isle of Lewis in five years
Posted On: August 16, 2010The Hebridean Seaweed Company in Stornoway has won the Crown Estates Marine Business Award for a venture that has created nearly 40 jobs in the Isle of Lewis in just five years. The company has agreements in place with the Crown Estate, which owns 70% of Britain’s coastline, and local private estates to exclusively harvest seaweed throughout the Western Isles.
It also works closely with Scottish Natural Heritage to ensure the seaweed harvesting is sustainable and environmentally friendly.The company employs eight people in its factory, although a further 36 jobs have been created in harvesting and hauling the crop. The end product is utilised in a variety of ways ranging from soil enhancement to shampoos, soaps, and body washes.
MDPI Office of the Publisher announces publication of new Marine Drugs issue
Posted On: August 4, 2010MDPI announces publication of the following issue: Mar.
Drugs, Volume 8, Issue 7 (July 2010), Pages 1962-2222 at
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/
Table of Contents:
Jiali Zhang, Wenshui Xia, Ping Liu, Qinyuan Cheng, Talba Tahi, Wenxiu Gu
and Bo Li
Review: Chitosan Modification and Pharmaceutical/Biomedical Applications
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 1962-1987; doi:10.3390/md8071962
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/1962
Feisal Khoushab and Montarop Yamabhai
Review: Chitin Research Revisited
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 1988-2012; doi:10.3390/md8071988
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/1988
Sandra Anne Banack and Paul Alan Cox
Correction: Correction: Banack, S.A. et al. Production of the Neurotoxin
BMAA by a Marine Cyanobacterium. Mar. Drugs 2007, 5, 180–196
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2013; doi:10.3390/md8072013
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2013
Chih-Yang Liu, Tsong-Long Hwang, Mei-Ru Lin, Yung-Husan Chen, Yu-Chia
Chang, Lee-Shing Fang, Wei-Hsien Wang, Yang-Chang Wu and Ping-Jyun Sung
Article: Carijoside A, a Bioactive Sterol Glycoside from an Octocoral
Carijoa sp. (Clavulariidae)
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2014-2020; doi:10.3390/md8072014
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2014
Vítor Ramos and Vítor Vasconcelos
Review: Palytoxin and Analogs: Biological and Ecological Effects
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2021-2037; doi:10.3390/md8072021
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2021
Laurie O’Sullivan, Brian Murphy, Peter McLoughlin, Patrick Duggan,
Peadar G. Lawlor, Helen Hughes and Gillian E. Gardiner
Review: Prebiotics from Marine Macroalgae for Human and Animal Health
Applications
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2038-2064; doi:10.3390/md8072038
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2038
Guoliang Wang, Ge Zhao, Yanbin Feng, Jinsong Xuan, Jianwei Sun, Baotai
Guo, Guoyong Jiang, Manli Weng, Jianting Yao, Bin Wang, Delin Duan and Tao
Liu
Article: Cloning and Comparative Studies of Seaweed Trehalose-6-Phosphate
Synthase Genes
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2065-2079; doi:10.3390/md8072065
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2065
Graziano Guella, Danielle Skropeta, Graziano Di Giuseppe and Fernando Dini
Review: Structures, Biological Activities and Phylogenetic Relationships
of Terpenoids from Marine Ciliates of the Genus Euplotes
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2080-2116; doi:10.3390/md8072080
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2080
Ratih Pangestuti and Se-Kwon Kim
Review: Neuroprotective Properties of Chitosan and Its Derivatives
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2117-2128; doi:10.3390/md8072117
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2117
Scharri J. Ezell, Haibo Li, Hongxia Xu, Xiangrong Zhang, Evrim Gurpinar,
Xu Zhang, Elizabeth R. Rayburn, Charnell I. Sommers, Xinyi Yang,
Sadanandan E. Velu, Wei Wang and Ruiwen Zhang
Article: Preclinical Pharmacology of BA-TPQ, a Novel Synthetic
Iminoquinone Anticancer Agent
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2129-2141; doi:10.3390/md8072129
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2129
Hedi Indra Januar, Ekowati Chasanah, Cherie A. Motti, Dianne M. Tapiolas,
Catherine H. Liptrot and Anthony D. Wright
Article: Cytotoxic Cembranes from Indonesian Specimens of the Soft Coral
Nephthea sp.
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2142-2152; doi:10.3390/md8072142
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2142
Robert J. French, Doju Yoshikami, Michael F. Sheets and Baldomero M.
Olivera
Review: The Tetrodotoxin Receptor of Voltage-Gated Sodium
Channels—Perspectives from Interactions with μ-Conotoxins
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2153-2161; doi:10.3390/md8072153
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2153
Fernando Scala, Ernesto Fattorusso, Marialuisa Menna, Orazio
Taglialatela-Scafati, Michelle Tierney, Marcel Kaiser and Deniz Tasdemir
Article: Bromopyrrole Alkaloids as Lead Compounds against Protozoan
Parasites
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2162-2174; doi:10.3390/md8072162
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2162
Anne-Laure Deniau, Paul Mosset, Frédérique Pédrono, Romain Mitre,
Damien Le Bot and Alain B. Legrand
Review: Multiple Beneficial Health Effects of Natural Alkylglycerols from
Shark Liver Oil
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2175-2184; doi:10.3390/md8072175
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2175
Maria Wiese, Paul M. D’Agostino, Troco K. Mihali, Michelle C. Moffitt
and Brett A. Neilan
Review: Neurotoxic Alkaloids: Saxitoxin and Its Analogs
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2185-2211; doi:10.3390/md8072185
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2185
Liang Guo, Guang Liu, Ruo-Yu Hong and Hong-Zhong Li
Article: Preparation and Characterization of Chitosan Poly(acrylic acid)
Magnetic Microspheres
Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(7), 2212-2222; doi:10.3390/md8072212
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/8/7/2212
Australian Scientists In Swine Flu Breakthrough with Seaweed
Posted On: May 5, 2010In a breakthrough that offers new hope for the containment of influenza outbreaks, an Australian biotechnology company has isolated a natural extract from seaweed which has been shown to inhibit the H1N1 virus.
The extract – known as Maritech® 926 – is a fucoidan compound derived from the Undaria pinnatifida species of seaweed. In vitro tests performed under contract by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US, have shown that Maritech® 926 can inhibit the H1N1 influenza virus at extremely low concentrations.
Developed by biotechnology company Marinova Pty Ltd, Maritech® 926 is a natural polysaccharide which has immediate market potential in nutritional supplements, hand washes and nasal delivery products which target the spread and prevention of viral conditions. Scope also exists for the compound to be included in pharmaceutical and medical device applications. As a result of these findings, Marinova has filed for patent protection over the application of Maritech® 926 and other fucoidan extracts in a range of anti-viral applications.
Seaweed Extract Holds Promise as Lymphoma Treatment
Posted On: March 15, 2010Seaweed offers the widest range of minerals of any food, as well as plant compounds called lignans, which have cancer-protective properties. New research presented at a recent cancer conference notes that seaweed extract holds promise as a treatment for lymphoma, a disease classified into Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s types.
Mohammad Irhimeh, PhD, assistant professor of hematoncology and stem cells at the Hashemite University in Jordon, noted that “some forms of B-cell lymphoma are especially resistant to standard treatment and thus new therapies are needed.” He and his colleagues presented new research at the second AACR Dead Sea International Conference on Advances in Cancer Research held March 7-10.
In their research they used a commercial seaweed extract to treat lymphoma cells and discovered that the extract inhibited the growth of lymphoma cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
Seaweeds contain fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide located in the cell walls of many species of brown seaweed. Previous research has shown that fucoidan has antitumor and antiangiogenic (meaning it prevents the growth of new blood vessels, which nourish cancer cells) properties.
Irhimeh and his colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, and Royal Hobart Hospital in Australia, also observed indications that the seaweed extract was associated with apoptosis, a process by which cells essentially commit “suicide.”
The findings of this study regarding the activity of seaweed extract on lymphoma cells have prompted the investigators to look forward to additional research with the goal of conducting phase II or III clinical trials. Seaweed extracts hold promise of a new treatment approach for the tens of thousands of people who have or who will be diagnosed with lymphoma.
Research shows effectiveness of natural seaweed extract on Osteoarthritis symptoms
Posted On: February 15, 2010Research published today in Biologics: Targets & Therapy, cites human clinical trials conducted at Southern Cross University NatMed Research Centre, which have demonstrated that the natural seaweed extract can reduce Osteoarthritis symptoms in some patients by up to 52%. The extract used in the clinical trials is a natural complex of concentrated fucoidans – bioactive polysaccharides thought to be responsible for many of the health benefits attributed to brown seaweeds such as wakame. All clinical trial participants had clinically-diagnosed osteoarthritis of the knee and were given a daily dose of the fucoidan-rich extract over a 12 week period during which the changes in their symptoms were observed.
Participants taking 100mg of the seaweed extract each day showed an 18% reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms, using the internationally-validated COAT (Comprehensive Osteoarthritis Test) assessment protocol. Participants taking 1000mg per day reported a staggering 52% reduction in symptoms.
Developed by Australian biotechnology company Marinova Pty Ltd, the natural Maritech® extract used in the clinical trials is derived from seaweed species growing in the pristine ocean waters of Patagonia and Nova Scotia. Unlike most complementary therapies which target osteoarthritis, Maritech® extract has Organic, Kosher and Halal certifications and is suitable for patients with seafood and shellfish allergies.
Full details of the Study can be found at Biologics: Targets & Therapy 2010:4 33-44
Tasmanian company Marinova Pty Ltd wins Technology and Innovation Award
Posted On: November 16, 2009Marinova was nominated in two categories, the Innovation in New and Emerging Industries Award, sponsored by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, and the Technology and Innovation Award, sponsored by the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology.
Since 2006, Marinova’s Cambridge extraction facility has been developing medical and nutritional applications from brown seaweed harvested in Tasmania, Canada and Argentina.
Red seaweed extract may cut NSAIDs need for arthritis sufferers
Posted On: May 12, 2009A natural, multi-mineral ingredient derived from the red seaweed Lithothamnion Corallioides may allow osteoarthritis sufferers to reduce their use of NSAIDs by 50 per cent, say the results of a new pilot study.
Daily doses of Marigot’s Aquamin ingredient allowed patients with osteoarthritis of the knee to partially withdraw their use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), while also producing improvements in the range of motion of the knee, and during walking exercises.
The study, published in the open access Nutrition Journal and funded by Irish company Marigot, builds on previous studies indicating benefits for bone health.
Anti-Cancer Fucoidans Extracted from Brown Marine Algae; May be Used in Functional Beverages
Posted On: May 11, 2009A team of researchers has developed a method for extracting three different varieties of polysaccharides from the algae: alginates, fucoidans, and laminaran. The researchers found that the extracted alginates appeared to demonstrate anti-bacterial properties and appeared to be effective against E. coli and staphylococcus. Studies have suggested that both laminarans and fucoidans have immune-boosting, cancer-fighting, and anti-viral properties. As part of the next step in developing commercial products from the extracts, the researchers are testing them for toxicity on rats. Obstacles to overcome before commercialization include quality control standardization and a way to extract the polysaccharides on an industrial scale. The researchers have contracted with an Ireland-based beverage company to develop products for the Japanese market. They are currently testing the extracts in beverages including ice tea, orange juice and water. The global market in so-called functional foods and drinks is anticipated to grow by 14 percent per year until 2010.
Brown Marine Algae Mined for Functional Ingredients
Posted On: February 11, 2008Franck Hennequart and his colleagues at the National University of Ireland in Galway have developed a process to extract alginates, laminaran and fucoidans from brown algae. Alginates are currently used as low-cost thickening and viscosity stabilizers for such products as salad dressings, and for microencapsulated ingredients. Laminarans are used in horticulture, but otherwise have no other industrial applications, and fucoidans are used as bioactive agents in Asia.
The scientists began developing a way to commercially extract the laminarans and fucoidans from the algae after studies indicated both had potential uses as immuno-stimulant, anti-viral and anti-cancer agents. Some of the extracts were tested against nine pathogens, including E. coli, listeria, staphycococcus, and salmonella. The scientists have now produced and identified four different extracts from the seaweeds, standardized their composition and are now testing them on a range of drinks, including mineral water, orange juice and cold tea. Some of the extracts seem to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and so far no toxicity has been discovered. Some of the problems to be overcome include methods to ensure quality control. The studies and their conclusions will help guide the selection of candidate functional beverages for commercialization.
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