Bioactive Potential of Brown Algae

Brown Algae

Brown algae, the Phaeophyceae (or Fucophyceae; Christensen, 1978), are a class (or division, Phaeophyta; Papenfuss, 1951) of algae consisting mainly of complex, macroscopic seaweeds whose brown color comes from a carotenoid pigment, fucoxanthin, and in some species, various phaeophycean tannins. Of perhaps 2000 species (in 265 genera) of brown algae (Van den Hoek et al., 1995), less than 1% are...

Brown algae

(also known as array genomic comparative hybridization, or array CGH) with established diagnostic procedures including G-banded karyotype and fragile X testing. Arrays for CMA tests are widely available, but have not yet entered general practice to the extent that generally agreed standards and references exist. Applying CMA to the entire genomes of 697 ASD patients, Shen et al. detected clinic...

Brown Algae Padina sanctae-crucis Børgesen: A Potential Nutraceutical

Padina sanctae-crucis Børgesen is distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas; belongs to the Dictyotaceae family, and has proven to be an exceptional source of biologically active compounds. Four compounds were isolated and identified, namely: dolastane diterpene new for the genus Padina; phaeophytin and hidroxy-phaeophytin new for the family Dictyotaceae, and; mannitol first descri...

Bioactive Potential and Possible Health Effects of Edible Brown Seaweeds

Distribution of pyrenoids among some brown algae.

The distribution of pyrenoids among some orders of the brown algae has been investigated with the electron microscope and a report on their occurrence is given, with particular reference to the results obtained with the light microscope by Simon (1954). Some illustrated detail of the structure of the pyrenoids and of the chromatophores is included. Pyrenoids were found to be present in the repr...