Application of Ecklonia cava Kjellman by-product as a feed additive: enhancing weight gain, immunity and protection from Salmonella infection in chickens

The Ecklonia cava Kjellman by-product (ECBP) as a feed additive was evaluated in improvement of productivity and immune enhancement against Salmonella Gallinarum (SG). Lohmann Brown chickens proved SG-free were randomly divided into 3 groups of 8 chickens each. Chickens were fed with the experimental diet treatment: T0, Non treatment-commercial feed; T1, commercial feed with 0.5% ECBP; T2, commercial feed with 0.1% Lactobacillus plantarum. In this study, we evaluated the effect of T1 and T2 groups on the body weight and protective efficacy against SG in chickens. The results demonstrated that treatment of T1 group as a feed additive affected significantly body weight gaining in chickens. In addition, T1 group showed a significant different colonization of SG when compared to T2 and T0 groups. We also studied that serum IgG and interferon-γ levels were significantly different compared with other treatment groups. Therefore, we suggest that ECBP can be used as a good candidate of feed additives in chicken industry.

Enhancement of Human Hair Growth Using Ecklonia cava Polyphenols

BACKGROUND: Ecklonia cava is a brown alga that contains various compounds, including carotenoids, fucoidans, and phlorotannins. E. cava polyphenols (ECPs) are known to increase fibroblast survival. The human dermal papilla cell (hDPC) has the properties of mesenchymal-origin fibroblasts. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effect of ECPs on human hair growth promotion in vitro and ex vivo. METHODS: MTT assays were conducted to examine the effect of ECPs on hDPC proliferation. Hair growth was measured using ex-vivo hair follicle cultures. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the mRNA expression of various growth factors in ECP-treated hDPCs. RESULTS: Treatment with 10 microg/ml purified polyphenols from E. cava (PPE) enhanced the proliferation of hDPCs 30.3% more than in the negative control (p<0.001). Furthermore, 0.1 microg/ml PPE extended the human hair shaft 30.8% longer than the negative control over 9 days (p<0.05). Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression increased 3.2-fold in hDPCs following treatment with 6 microg/ml PPE (p<0.05). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression was also increased 2.0-fold by 3 microg/ml PPE (p<0.05). Treatment with 10 microg/ml PPE reduced oxidative stress in hDPCs (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PPE could enhance human hair growth. This can be explained by hDPC proliferation coupled with increases in growth factors such as IGF-1 and VEGF. Reducing oxidative stress is also thought to help increase hDPCs. These favorable results suggest that PPE is a promising therapeutic candidate for hair loss.

Studies on technology for seaweed forest construction and transplanted Ecklonia cava growth for an artificial seaweed reef.

We installed seaweed reef for restoration of barron ground coast. We hollowed out a U-shaped groove in a cross-shaped artificial seaweed reef and covered it with a zinc sheet (U-bar) to transplant Ecklonia cava growing on Dellenia wood by hand, installing the U-bar on the artificial seaweed reef, fixing it with concrete. Thus seaweed can be attached easily, with pre-installed stainless bolts and nuts. The length of Ecklonia cava leaf transplanted to the cross-shaped reef was 7.2 cm in February 2005 reached its maximum size, 35.9 cm (n=30) by July. Thereafter, it decreased to 18.9 cm in October due to shedding. The leaf weight after the experiment was 24.8 from the initial 0.4 cm (n=30). Regression analysis showed Y=0.7875X-4.6488 (R2=0.7225) for blade length and Y=0.0025X2.6733 (R2=0.8711) for leaf weight. The high values of the R2 values for the two measurements were highly reliable, with the reliability of the linear regression function higher than that of the functions of 2 variables. The artificial seaweed forest constructed in the barren ground was highly comparable with natural seaweed forest in terms of growth, indicating that the artificial seaweed construction can be done in an easy, efficient and economically viable way. This further indicates that the technology developed by the present study can be extensively used for the project for artificial seaweed forest construction.

Protective efficacy of an Ecklonia cava extract used to treat transient focal ischemia of the rat brain / 대한해부학회지

Phlorotannins (marine algal polyphenols) have been reported to exhibit beneficial biological activities, serving as both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Among marine algae, Ecklonia cava, a member of the Laminariaceae, is a very popular food regarded as healthy in Korea and Japan. Recently, benefits afforded by phlorotannins in the treatment of various clinical conditions have been reported, but any therapeutic effects of such materials in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke remain unclear. Also, the mechanisms of action of the algal components remain poorly understood. In the present in vivo study, administration of Ecklonia cava polyphenols (ECP) at 10 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) significantly decreased infarct size and the extent of brain edema in the rat after induction of transient focal ischemia via middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Further, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay revealed dose-dependent blockage of neuronal apoptosis upon intravenous ECP treatment. Neurobehavioral tests performed over the 6 days after MCAO revealed a reduction in neurological motor performance in control animals, but administration of ECP (50 mg/kg i.p.) prevented this decline. In vitro, a significant neuroprotective effect of ECP was evident when cell viability was assayed after induction of H2O2-mediated oxidative stress, upon retinoic acid treatment, in the differentiated neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. Interestingly, ECP blocked the rise in cytosolic calcium, in a dose-dependent manner, in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells exposed to H2O2. Together, the results suggest that ECP exerts neuroprotective effects in the focally ischemic brain by reducing Ca(2+)-mediated neurotoxicity.

Evaluation of antioxidant properties of a new compound, pyrogallol-phloroglucinol-6,6'-bieckol isolated from brown algae, Ecklonia cava

In this study, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of the natural antioxidative compound, pyrogallol-phloroglucinol-6,6'-bieckol (PPB) isolated from brown algae, Ecklonia cava was assessed in vitro by measuring the radical scavenging activities (DPPH, alkyl, hydroxyl, and superoxide) using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity, and DNA damage assay. According to the results of these experiments, the scavenging activity PPB against difference radicals was in the following order: DPPH, alkyl, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals (IC50; 0.90, 2.54, 62.93 and 109.05 microM). The antioxidant activities of PPB were higher than that of the commercial antioxidant, ascorbic acid. Furthermore, PPB effectively inhibited DNA damage induced by H2O2. These results suggest that the natural antioxidative compound, PPB, can be used by the natural food industry.