Characterization of ACE Inhibitory Peptides Prepared from Protein.

More than 7000 red algae species have been classified. Although most of them are underused, they are a protein-rich marine resource. The hydrolysates of red algal proteins are good candidates for the inhibition of the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE).

Efficient Extraction and Antioxidant Capacity of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids from Red Alga Dulse in Japan.

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are the ultraviolet (UV)-absorbable compounds, which are naturally produced by cyanobacteria and algae. Not only these algae but also marine organisms utilize MAAs to protect their DNA from UV-induced damage. On the other hand, the content of MAAs in algae was changed by the environmental condition and season.

Identification of a Key Enzyme for the Hydrolysis of β-(1→3)-Xylosyl Linkage in Red Alga Dulse Xylooligosaccharide from .

Red alga dulse possesses a unique xylan, which is composed of a linear β-(1→3)/β-(1→4)-xylosyl linkage. We previously prepared characteristic xylooligosaccharide (DX3, (β-(1→3)-xylosyl-xylobiose)) from dulse. In this study, we evaluated the prebiotic effect of DX3 on enteric bacterium.

In Silico Analysis of ACE Inhibitory Peptides from Chloroplast Proteins of Red Alga Grateloupia asiatica.

Inhibition of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) is one of the key factors to repress high blood pressure. Although many studies have been reported that seaweed protein hydrolysates showed the ACE inhibitory activity, the comprehensive understanding of the relationship was still unclear. In this study, we employed chloroplast genome for in silico analysis and compared it with in vitro experiments.

Complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA of red alga dulse (Linnaeus) Weber & Mohr in Japan.

Red algae contain high amount of proteins compared to the other algae. Red algae dulse is one of the protein rich species and a good candidate for protein sources. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of in Japan was determined.

Antioxidant activity of proteins extracted from red alga dulse harvested in Japan.

In this study, we investigated antioxidant activity of proteins from the red alga dulse (Palmaria sp.) harvested in Hokkaido, Japan. The dulse proteins that contain phycoerythrin (PE) as the main component showed a high radical scavenging activity.

Complete sequence of mitochondrial DNA of (Postels and Ruprecht) J. Agardh.

Although most red algae produce agar and carrageenan, produces funoran as polysaccharide component. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome was determined. It had a circular mapping molecular with the length of 25,636 bp and contained 49 genes including 24 protein-coding, two rRNA, and 23 tRNA.

Analysis of Relationship between Proteins from Plastid Genome of Red Alga sp. (Japan) and Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides.

Plastid proteins are one of the main components in red algae. In order to clarify the angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides from red alga sp. (Japan), we determined the plastid genome sequence.

Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides Derived from Phycobiliproteins of Dulse Palmaria palmata.

We examined the inhibitory activity of angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) in protein hydrolysates from dulse, Palmaria palmata. The proteins extracted from dulse were mainly composed of phycoerythrin (PE) followed by phycocyanin (PC) and allophycocyanin (APC). The dulse proteins showed slight ACE inhibitory activity, whereas the inhibitory activity was extremely enhanced by thermolysin hydrolysis.

Evaluation of the effects of amyloid β aggregation from seaweed extracts by a microliter-scale high-throughput screening system with a quantum dot nanoprobe.

Inhibitors of amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation have the potential to serve as lead compounds for anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) agents because Aβ aggregation is a key step in AD pathogenesis. Recently, we developed a novel microliter-scale high-throughput screening (MSHTS) system for Aβ aggregation inhibitors that applied fluorescence microscopic analysis with quantum dot nanoprobes, and attempted to comprehensively screen the inhibitors from spices using this system (Ishigaki et al., PLoS One, 8, e72992, 2013).

Protective function of silicon deposition in Saccharina japonica sporophytes (Phaeophyceae).

We investigated biogenic silica deposition in sporophytes of kelp, Saccharina japonica (Laminariaceae). Silicon content was measured in different sporophyte regions and there was a trend for the silicon content to increase longitudinally from the stipe-blade transition to apical regions. The transverse trend was for the content to be higher in the marginal region than in the medial region.

EVALUATION OF RECOVERABLE FUNCTIONAL LIPID COMPONENTS OF SEVERAL BROWN SEAWEEDS (PHAEOPHYTA) FROM JAPAN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FUCOXANTHIN AND FUCOSTEROL CONTENTS(1).

Fucoxanthin (Fx) and fucosterol (Fs) are characteristic lipid components of brown seaweeds that afford several health benefits to humans. This article describes the quantitative evaluation of lipids of 15 species of brown seaweeds with specific reference to Fx, Fs, and functional long-chain omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In addition, fatty-acid composition of selected species was also accomplished in the study.

Lipid class and fatty acid composition of a little-known and rarely collected alga Exophyllum wentii Weber-van Bosse from Bali Island, Indonesia.

The lipid class and fatty acid composition of a little-known and rarely collected alga Exophyllum wentii from Bali Island, Indonesia were determined for fresh and frozen-thawed samples using thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Glycoglycerolipids, which mainly consisted of mongalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerols (DGDG), were the predominant lipid components, accounting for 67% and 56% of the total polar lipid content in the fresh and frozen-thawed samples, respectively. Phospholipids, including phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG), were detected with lesser amounts in both samples (16-17% of the total polar lipid content).

Visualization of phosphoinositides via the development of the transient expression system of a cyan fluorescent protein in the red alga Porphyra yezoensis.

Phosphoinositides (PIs) play important roles in signal transduction pathways and the regulation of cytoskeleton and membrane functions in eukaryotes. Subcellular localization of individual PI derivative is successfully visualized in yeast, animal, and green plant cells using PI derivative-specific pleckstrin homology (PH) domains fused with a variety of fluorescent proteins; however, expression of fluorescent proteins has not yet been reported in any red algal cells. In the present study, we developed the system to visualize these PIs using human PH domains fused with a humanized cyan fluorescent protein (AmCFP) in the red alga Porphyra yezoensis.