The use of a number of species of marine brown algae in the implementation of bioremediation strategies for toxic heavy metals is being considered and evaluated. The biosorption capacity of these algae for heavy metals resides mainly in a group of linear polysaccharides known as alginates that occur as a gel in the algal thallus. The potential for selective metal binding by the biomass of two s...

Alginates isolated from Sargassum vulgare, present a strong antitumor activity, associated with kidney reversible damage, as analysed by histopathology of treated animals. In the present study, the renal alteration mechanisms of S. vulgare alginates were investigated using the isolated perfused rat kidney and the isolated perfused rat mesenteric blood vessel methods. The results showed that the...

Distribution and abundance of fishes associated with Sargassum mats in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico were examined off northern (Galveston) and southern (Port Aransas) Texas from May–August, 2000. A total of 36 species (17 families) was identified from larval purse seine collections. Individuals from seven species composed over 97% of the catch: planehead filefish Monacanthus hispidus (Linnae...

The biosorption of heavy metals Hg(II) and Cu(II) from aquatic solution by biomass of dried Sargassum fusiforme was studied in the paper. The Sargassum fusiforme was able to absorb appreciable amount of mercury and copper from the aquatic solutions within 60 min of contact time with the metal solution and exhibited high removal of mercury and copper at low equilibrium concentrations. The specif...

To assess distributional shifts of species in response to recent warming, historical distribution records are the most requisite information. The surface seawater temperature (SST) of Kochi Prefecture, southwestern Japan on the western North Pacific, has significantly risen, being warmed by the Kuroshio Current. Past distributional records of subtidal canopy-forming seaweeds (Laminariales and F...

Two of bioactive natural products were founded in a brown alga, Sargassum fulvellum. After isolation and purification, the molecular structures of these two products were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and GC-mass spectroscopy. The two compounds were identified to be 1-O-palmitoyl-2-O-oleoyl-3-O-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-glycerol (POGG) and 1-O-myristoyl-2-O-oleoyl-3-O-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)...

The purified total sterols and β-sitosterol extracted from Sargassum horneri were evaluated for their antidepressant-like activity using the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice. Total sterols and β-sitosterol significantly reduced the immobility time in the FST and TST. Total sterols were administered orally for 7 days at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, and β-sitoster...

Seaweed extracts of Sargassum cinereum was used as a reducing agent in the eco-friendly extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles from an aqueous solution of silver nitrate (AgNO3). High conversion of silver ions to silver nanoparticles was achieved with a reaction temperature of 100(°) and a seaweed extract concentration of 10% with a residential time of 3 h. Formation of silver nanopart...