The immunotropic activity of structurally different fucoidans and their derivatives towards isolated immune blood cells, effectors of innate immune system, was studied. The most potent effect was observed for high molecular weight fucoidan CF from the alga Chordaria flagelliformis, whose backbone is built of (1→3)-linked units of α-L-fucopyranose, and branches included residues of α-D-glucuroni...

A phylogenetic tree of most of the major groups of organisms has been constructed from the 352 5S ribosomal RNA sequences now available. The tree suggests that there are several major groups of eubacteria that diverged during the early stages of their evolution. Metabacteria (= archaebacteria) and eukaryotes separated after the emergence of eubacteria. Among eukaryotes, red algae emerged first;...

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...

Photosynthesis, Dark Fixation, /?-Carboxylation, C4-Metabolism, Brown Algae Marine brown macroalgae including Macrocystis integrifolia, Nereocystis luetkeana, Lessoniopsis littoralis, Laminaria saccharina, Fucus serratus and some further representatives of the Laminariales and Fucales (Phaeophyta) have been investigated with respect to their remarkably high potential for /?-carboxylation of pho...

Advanced Glycation End products (AGE) generated in a non enzymatic protein glycation process are frequently associated with diabetes, aging and other chronic diseases. Here, we explored the protective effect of phlorotannins from brown algae Padina pavonica, Sargassum polycystum and Turbinaria ornata against AGEs formation. Phlorotannins were extracted from brown algae with methanol and its pur...

There is currently convincing evidence that microRNAs have evolved independently in at least six different eukaryotic lineages: animals, land plants, chlorophyte green algae, demosponges, slime molds and brown algae. MicroRNAs from different lineages are not homologous but some structural features are strongly conserved across the eukaryotic tree allowing the application of stringent criteria t...

Deciphering the genetic architecture of adaptation of brown algae to environmental stresses such as temperature and salinity is of evolutionary as well as of practical interest. The filamentous brown alga Ectocarpus sp. is a model for the brown algae and its genome has been sequenced. As sessile organisms, brown algae need to be capable of resisting the various abiotic stressors that act in the...

different solvent extracts of a red algae, hypnea flagelliformis,and two brown algae, cystoseira myrica and sargassum boveanum, collected from the persian gulf coast were subjected to different bioassays including: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (dpph) free radical scavenging assay, antibacterial and antifungal activity by thin layer chromatography (tlc)-bioautography, agar disc diffusion (add) ...

Brown algae represent a major component of littoral and sublittoral zones in temperate and subtropical ecosystems. An essential adaptive feature of this independent eukaryotic lineage is the ability to couple oxidative reactions resulting from exposure to sunlight and air with the halogenations of various substrates, thereby addressing various biotic and abiotic stresses i.e., defense against p...