The brand-new advancement was led by Ph.D. student Doron Ashkenazi of Tel Aviv University and the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute, under the guidance of Prof. Avigdor Abelson of Tel Aviv Universitys School of Zoology and Prof. Alvaro Israel of the IOLR in Haifa, in partnership with other leading researchers from Israel and all over the world, including Guy Paz from IOLR; organic chemistry professional Dr. Shoshana Ben-Valid; Dr. Eitan Salomon from the National Center for Mariculture in Eilat; and Prof. Félix López Figueroa, Julia Vega, Nathalie Korbee, and Marta García-Sánchez from Malaga University in Spain.
The short article was published in the clinical journal Marine Drugs, thanks to the studys groundbreaking findings in the field of marine-derived health and medical compounds.
Undersea seaweed garden, Bat-Yam, Israel. Credit: Doron Ashkenazi
Doron Ashkenazi describes: “Seaweed, likewise understood as macroalgae, are marine plants that form the basis of the seaside marine environment. Not lots of are mindful of it, nevertheless on top of all that, seaweed produce a large variety of unique bio-active compounds that are beneficial to human beings.”
He continues, “The seaweed living in the intertidal zone face severe tension conditions, that include changes in salinity, temperature, desiccation conditions, changes in the schedule of nutrients, and high direct exposure to solar radiation, specifically in the ultraviolet (UV) range. In order to endure, the seaweed have developed a special set of chemical defense systems– natural chemicals that help them cope with these extreme environments. One might state that seaweed are highly effective natural factories for the production of important compounds, that might use substantial benefits to humans.”
In a previous study, the exact same group of researchers established an innovative innovation that makes it possible for the growth of seaweed improved with proteins and minerals such as zinc, iron, calcium, iodine, and magnesium. In the present research study, they sought to take a look at whether and how it is possible to optimize the seaweed and increase production of bio-active substances, and secondary metabolites, that offer substantial health advantages. These substances include antioxidants, protective pigments, and natural UV radiation filters.
To this end, they established a useful and original cultivation approach, in which 3 local seaweed: Ulva, Gracilaria, and Hypnea, were initially grown alongside fish effluents, and subsequently exposed to numerous abiotic conditions (stress factors), particularly high irradiance, nutrient starvation, and high salinity. The scientists examined how these changes impacted the concentration of specific important biomaterials in the seaweed, with the aim of improving their production.
The results showed remarkable increases in their concentrations: the antioxidant levels were doubled, the seaweed natural sunscreen particles were tripled, and protective pigments were increased by tenfold!
” We established optimum growing conditions and invented a tidy and new way to increase the levels of healthy natural bio-active compounds in seaweed to an unmatched level,” says Ashkenazi. “We in fact produced incredibly seaweed tailor developed to be utilized by the emerging health markets for food and health applications.”
Utilizing their growing method, the researchers think that in the future it will be possible to elevate seaweed to extra natural materials with important medical homes, such as anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and ant-biotic compounds.
In addition, the existing approach has the possible to be used in the seaweed global aquaculture industry and can help promote the State of Israel as a leading power in seaweed biotechnology.
The scientists also stress that seaweed aquaculture is environmentally-friendly, protecting the eco-friendly balance, and moreover, reduces ecological risks by lessening excessive amounts of other toxins and anthropogenic nutrients, reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, and reducing the carbon footprint. In this method, seaweed aquaculture can help cope with international ecological difficulties such as contamination, environment loss, and the environment crisis.
Doron Ashkenazi concludes: “In the future, mankind will focus on creating science-based ecological services, such as the one we use in the existing research study: innovations that promote recycling and the sound usage of natural deposits without overexploiting them. The study demonstrates, in a practical way, how we can enjoy nature services without harming it. Simply as the “seaweed” recommends, we can gain from nature how to preserve it, and therefore live and flourish together with it.”
Recommendation: “Enhancing Bioproducts in Seaweeds through Sustainable Aquaculture: Antioxidant and Sun-Protection Compounds” by Doron Yehoshua Ashkenazi, Félix L. Figueroa, Nathalie Korbee, Marta García-Sánchez, Julia Vega, Shoshana Ben-Valid, Guy Paz, Eitan Salomon, Álvaro Israel and Avigdor Abelson, 7 December 2022, Marine Drugs.DOI: 10.3390/ md20120767.
Doron Ashkenazi explains: “Seaweed, likewise known as macroalgae, are marine plants that form the basis of the coastal marine environment. In order to endure, the seaweed have developed a special set of chemical defense systems– natural chemicals that assist them cope with these extreme environments. One could state that seaweed are highly effective natural factories for the production of important substances, that might offer significant benefits to humans.”
In a previous research study, the exact same group of scientists established an innovative technology that enables the development of seaweed enriched with proteins and minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, and iodine. In the current study, they looked for to examine whether and how it is possible to increase and take full advantage of the seaweed production of bio-active substances, and secondary metabolites, that offer significant health advantages.
Boosted seaweed, cultivated utilizing the unique research study technique. Credit: Doron Ashkenazi
Scientists from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute (IOLR) have made significant strides in enhancing seaweeds capability to produce healthy natural products.
Their recent research has been centered around enhancing the production of bioactive substances in seaweed that supply human health advantages. These include antioxidants, whose concentration in the seaweed has been increased twofold; natural sunscreens, whose concentrations have seen a threefold rise; and medically valuable distinct protective pigments, which have been significantly enhanced tenfold.
According to the researchers, these findings might serve the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, and nutritional supplement markets. The study was performed with the innovative and sustainable technique of integrated aquaculture, which integrates seaweed with fish growing. This method benefits the seaweed while at the same time helping to cleanse the seawater and minimize negative environmental effects.
