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The commercial landscape of seaweed use in New Zealand (NZ) has shifted and evolved since it was last reviewed in 2006. One of the largest changes saw the introduction of Macrocystis pyrifera and green-lipped mussel spat (which is landed attached to beach-cast seaweed) into the Quota Management System—the primary tool for commercial fisheries management in NZ. There have also been policy changes around commercial harvesting and farming of Undaria pinnatifida, an introduced brown alga native to Asia. Traditionally, commercial algal utilization has been limited to agar production and beach-cast collection for aquaculture feeds, though demand for seaweed products has increased with a growing Asian population in NZ. The NZ seaweed industry is at an early developmental stage, but it has the potential to offer high quality seaweed stock and value-added products to the world market. The exploration of seaweed farming, the growing demand for seaweed fertilizers and the development of high-value bioactive products such as fucoidan has attracted interest from marine farmers and entrepreneurs. The key to success for the NZ seaweed industry rests in developing high-value products for an export market, from integrated farming, harvesting and processing that can deliver the most value, consume the least energy and generate minimal waste.

A Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, obligately anaerobic bacterium, designated strain BP52GT, was isolated from the hindgut of a Silver Drummer (Kyphosus sydneyanus) fish collected from the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the isolate belonged to the family Erysipelotrichaceae in the phylum Firmicutes and was most closely related to Clostridium saccharogumia with 93.3 % sequence identity. Isolate BP52GT grew on agar medium containing mannitol as the sole carbon source. White, opaque and shiny colonies of the isolate measuring approximately 1 mm diameter grew within a week at 20–28 °C (optimum, 24 °C) and pH 6.9–8.5 (optimum, pH 7.8). BP52GT tolerated the addition of up to 1 % NaCl to the medium. Formate and acetate were the major fermentation products. The major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, C16:1n-7t and C18:1n-7t. The genome sequence of the isolate was determined. Its G+C content was 30.7 mol%, and the 72.65 % average nucleotide identity of the BP52GT genome to its closest neighbour with a completely sequenced genome ( Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum JCM 1298T) indicated low genomic relatedness. Based on the phenotypic and taxonomic characteristics observed in this study, a novel genus and species Tannockella kyphosi gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for isolate BP52GT (=NZRM 4757T=JCM 34692T).

Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar, native to north-western Asia, is a prolific invasive seaweed species that has established across much of New Zealand, competing and co-existing with native seaweed species. Remote sensing could be used to map both invasive and native seaweeds in New Zealand. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hyperspectral differences (and the wavelengths at which they differ) between New Zealand seaweed species at broad taxonomic levels and also between Undaria pinnatifida and other common New Zealand seaweeds. ASD Handheld2 VNIR spectroradiometer with a spectral range of 325 to 1075 nm was used to collect hyperspectral data of the common New Zealand native and invasive seaweed species. Two supervised classification methods such as partial least-square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for wavelength selection/classification and random forest for validating the results from PLS-DA were implemented. The seaweed species were separable at broad taxonomic level with accuracies greater than 85% for all three taxonomic groups using PLS-DA. The influential wavelengths in discrimination were 572, 633 to 635, 640, 657 to 661, 687, 704 to 714, 741, 742, 749, and 750 nm. Some of the influential wavelengths were consistent with pigment absorption peaks unique to red and brown seaweeds. Undaria pinnatifida showed differences from native brown seaweed species in the visible (574 nm) and near-infrared (716 to 721, 750 nm) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It was classified with an accuracy of 97.7% and 90.7% using random forest and PLS-DA, respectively.

Fucoidan is a multifunctional marine carbohydrate polymer that differs in its chemical composition and bioactivity both between seaweed species and within species from different locations across the globe. In this study, fucoidan was extracted from the sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida grown in Weihai, Shandong Province, China. Fucoidan fractions with molecular weight cutoffs (MWCO) of >300 kDa and 300 kDa fraction (300k) and

Marine molluscs and their bioactive compounds are of particular relevance to the growing pool of nutraceutical resources under global investigation. A number of extraction techniques have been developed to isolate bioactive compounds according to their chemical characterization, such as proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. We briefly reviewed those methods in general. Bioactive molecules are 'concealed' in the primary structures of tissue samples of molluscs as amino acids, lipids or carbohydrates which are released by mechanical and chemical processes. The major health benefits of extracts of molluscs include antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-infectious disease activities and cardiovascular protection, which have been reviewed in detail. This review provides a novel view into the efficacy of isolation techniques and subsequent bioactivity analysis of compounds under investigation. Future development in extraction-bioactivity has also been discussed.

Molluscan extracts confer a wide range of health promoting properties, one of them is cytotoxicity. Extraction and processing can affect the efficacy and properties of bioactive molecules. New Zealand (NZ) surf clams have never been thoroughly studied for bioactives until recently. However, the effect of cold and heat extraction procedure on biochemical composition and cytotoxic activities of NZ surf clam remains unanswered. The objective is to compare the effects on cytotoxicity of three NZ surf clams (Diamond shell, Crassula aequilatera; Storm shell, Mactra murchisoni; and Deepwater Tua tua, Paphies donacina) extracts via cold or heat process across cancer cell lines to find out which process can preserve bioactivity better. Fractions of extracts prepared via cold or heat procedures were tested for cell growth inhibition, apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest in seven cancer cell lines. Apoptosis was induced through all cell lines, as further evidenced in Caspase-3/7 activities. Cell cycle arrest was focused on G2/M- and S- phases. Petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions, with the greatest bioactivity in this study, are rich in lipids and proteins, indicating likely bioactive sources. Cold preparation was responsible for the lowest cancer cell viability and induced greater apoptosis. Cold process retained better bioactivity/cytotoxicity than that of heat-processed extracts. This information may guide future health/nutraceutical clam product development., Food science, Food technology, Surf clam, Drying, Cytotoxicity, Storm shell, Tua tua, Dimond shell, Crassula aequilatera, Mactra murchisoni, Paphies donacina, New Zealand.

Melanoma remains one of the most aggressive and therapy-resistant cancers. Finding new treatments to improve patient outcomes is an ongoing effort. We previously demonstrated that melanoma relies on the activation of ERBB signaling, specifically of the ERBB3/ERBB2 cascade. Here we show that melanoma tumor growth is inhibited by 60% over controls when treated with lapatinib, a clinically approved inhibitor of ERBB2/EGFR. Importantly, tumor growth is further inhibited to 85% when the natural compound fucoidan from New Zealand U. pinnatifida is integrated into the treatment regimen. Fucoidan not only enhances tumor growth inhibition, it counteracts the morbidity associated with prolonged lapatinib treatment. Fucoidan doubles the cell killing capacity of lapatinib. These effects are associated with a further decrease in AKT and NFκB signaling, two key pathways involved in melanoma cell survival. Importantly, the enhancing cell killing effects of fucoidan can be recapitulated by inhibiting ERBB3 by either a specific shRNA or a novel, selective ERBB3 neutralizing antibody, reiterating the key roles played by this receptor in melanoma. We therefore propose the use of lapatinib or specific ERBB inhibitors, in combination with fucoidan as a new treatment of melanoma that potentiates the effects of the inhibitors while protecting from their potential side effects.

In order to ensure the safety of food, particularly ready-to-eat (RTE) food, a sensitive and rapid method for the detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria is always in high demand. An accurate and reliable detection method for Listeria monocytogenes has been developed based on the aggregation of biofunctionalized magnetic nanoparticles induced by specific binding between L. monocytogenes and antibody-modified nanoparticles, which results in the change of the transverse relaxation time (T2) of surrounding water protons of nanoparticles detected by nuclear magnetic resonance. The detection limit of this method is 3 MPN (using the most-probable-number (MPN) assay) and the functionalized Fe/Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles exhibit a high specificity with the existence of other interfering bacteria. Furthermore, this detection method is successfully applied to detect L. monocytogenes in milk powder and lettuce. This method could be a useful tool for sensitive and rapid detection of foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

The antioxidant action of three New Zealand surf clams was evaluated for the first time. Aqueous (cd) and ethanolic extracts from Diamond shell - Crassula aequilatera, Storm shell - Mactra murchisoni, and Tua tua - Paphies donacina were studied for their antioxidant potentials using two in vitro assays. The ethanolic extracts were further fractioned into four parts; petroleum ether (pe), ethyl acetate (ea), n-butanol (nb), and the final aqueous fraction (w). Comparing among all fractions tested, the ea fraction of P. donacina showed the strongest free radical scavenging power, with a radical scavenging activity of 76.14% at 20μg/mL. The ea fraction of C. aequilatera had the highest copper reducing activity with an absorbance of 1.596 at 20μg/mL. Results from this study suggest that some bioactive compounds with significant antioxidant effects may exist in the New Zealand surf clams, and could potentially reduce oxidative stress to deliver health benefits or to produce functional foods.

The cytotoxicity of three species of New Zealand (NZ) surf clam extracts was investigated in three hormonal cancer cell lines. Four extracts from each clam species were used: water, ethanol, petroleum ether (pe), and ethyl acetate (ea). The last three of these extracts significantly induced apoptosis via caspase cascades and cell cycle arrest. This was observed, for example, in the percentages of early apoptotic cells in Storm shell extracts with PC-3, MCF-7, and SiHa, with 30, 31, and 35%, respectively, at 400 μg∙ml-1. Cells incubated for 72 h led to the induction of arrest in the S- and G2-M phases. Previous analysis showed that pe and ea extracts from NZ clams were rich in lipids, and current indications based on fractional efficacy, pointed to a lipid soluble bioactive compound. This study provided a basis for further development of NZ clam extracts for treatment, or as a supplement, for positively affecting prostate, breast, and cervical cancers.

In this study, we examined the cytotoxic effects of four fractions from three species of New Zealand (NZ) surf clam on four common organ cancer cells. In most cases, a dose- and time-dependent inhibition on the proliferation of the cancer cells was observed. This was most significant in WiDr (colon) cells, where the percentages of viability reduced to as low as 6%, 5%, and 17% (at 1000 &micro, g 72 h) by extracts from Diamond shell, Storm shell, and Tua tua species, respectively. A549 (lung) cells were the least susceptible to the treatment, with viability percentages at 82%, 15%, and 45%, under the same conditions. Induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis and alterations to the cell cycle further supported the observed morphological analysis. The ethanol, petroleum ether, and ethyl acetate fractions of NZ surf clam, rich in lipids and proteins, were more potent than their water-based counterpart. This is the first demonstration where extracts from NZ surf clams show the ability to inhibit the growth and proliferation of cancer cell lines. We suggest that NZ surf clam extracts have the potential to be further studied and developed as candidates for cancer supplementary management/treatment.

The importance of fucoidan as a functional ingredient in food, health products, and pharmaceutics is well-recognized due to its beneficial biological effects. Fucoidan is usually extracted from brown seaweeds, including Undaria pinnatifida. Fucoidan exhibits beneficial bio-activity and has antioxidant, anticancer, and anticoagulant properties. This review focuses on the biological activity of U. pinnatifida-derived fucoidan and investigates its structure&ndash, activity or fraction&ndash, activity relationship. It also describes several fucoidan extracts, along with their claimed anticancer effects. It aims to provide information and thoughts for future research such as the development of fucoidan into functional foods or nutraceuticals.

Undaria pinnatifida, Wakame is a popular edible seaweed in its native Asia and was first recorded in New Zealand in Wellington Harbor in 1987. It is classified as an unwanted species under the Biosecurity Act 1993, but there is growing interest in harvesting this seaweed for human consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of metals in U. pinnatifida from several locations (Marlborough Sounds and Wellington harbor) and across seasons. In brief, the highest monthly mean concentration of metals found in New Zealand wild U. pinnatifida was Ca (16.97g·kg-1), K (48.48 g·kg-1), Mg (9.47 g·kg-1), P (12.05 g·kg-1), Cr (1.04 mg·kg-1), Cu (3.78 mg·kg-1), Mn (14.61 mg·kg-1), Ni (2.78 mg·kg-1), Se (0.83 mg·kg-1), Zn (35.03 mg·kg-1), As (46.71 mg·kg-1), Cd (2.91 mg·kg-1), Hg (0.042 mg·kg-1) and Pb (0.31 mg·kg-1). These results showed that New Zealand U. pinnatifida is a good source of the nutritionally important minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. They also contained trace amounts of minerals such as chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, selenium and zinc. Contaminants such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead were found at very low, safe, levels.

The sugar alcohol mannitol is the primary photosynthate of phaeophytes, and as such is an important dietary constituent for many marine herbivorous fishes. Sugar alcohols are not thought to be efficiently digested by vertebrates. Although vertebrates lack intestinal transporters for sugar alcohols, these compounds are thought to serve as substrates for fermentation by hindgut flora. Here, we measured mannitol in twelve species of New Zealand phaeophytes and in gut contents and gut fluid from five points along the gut of eight species of New Zealand marine herbivorous fishes: Odax pullus, Kyphosus sydneyanus, Kyphosus vaigiensis, Girella tricuspidata, Girella cyanea, Parma alboscapularis, Aplodactylus arctidens and Aplodactylus etheridgii. The mannitol content of the algae varied from 6.76% dry wt. ± 0.83 SE in Cystophora scalaris to 28.81% dry wt. ± 2.03 SE in Marginariella boryana. The fishes consumed varying amounts of mannitol, correlating with their consumption of phaeophytes. In O. pullus and K. sydneyanus the amount of mannitol in gut contents decreased markedly in the hindgut. The correlation of this decrease with the density of gut microbiota and fermentation products suggests that mannitol is fermented to short-chain fatty acids in the hindgut, rather than being directly taken up by the fish. Hindgut fermentation of mannitol may thus serve as an important mechanism for energy salvage in hindgut-fermenting fishes that feed on phaeophytes.

This study aims to obtain chemical and sensory profiles of the New Zealand wakame from Undaria pinnatifida for the first time since the lift of its commercial harvest in May 2010. We compared mannitol content, sensory quality and volatile profiles of wakame produced from New Zealand U. pinnatifida with Japanese and Korean commercial samples. Sensory analysis showed that New Zealand wakame processed in August was different from commercially available wakame in texture only. A total of 10 alkanes, 5 ester, 3 alcohol, 13 aldehyde, 8 ketone and 2 alkyne were detected in the two New Zealand processed wakame samples. Mannitol content in freeze-dried U. pinnatifida was also measured and result showed that mannitol was the only free carbohydrate in U. pinnatifida.

Worldwide, some 291 species of seaweeds are used by humans, mainly for food and hydrocolloid production (e.g., alginates, agar, and carrageenan) and also for medicines, paper, fertilizer, and animal feed. In 2012 close to 21 million t wet weight of seaweeds were used, with just over 20 million t of that cultured as opposed to wild harvest. Production is dominated by Indonesia, China, and the Philippines. Indonesia produces 5.7 million t of Eucheuma. China produces large amounts of Laminaria (4.8 million t), Gracilaria (1.9 million t), Undaria (1.7 million t), and Porphyra (1.1 million t). In the Philippines, Eucheuma dominates with 1.7 million t produced. These five seaweeds made up 96.7% of the total seaweed harvest in 2012.

Undaria pinnatifida is a species of brown seaweed known to contain rich amounts of fucoidan, a sulphated polysaccharide known to possess various biological activities. We isolated crude fucoidan (F0) from the sporophylls of U. pinnatifida grown in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. Sulphate content, uronic acid content and molecular weight of F0 were 15.02%, 1.24% and >150 kDa, respectively. F0 was fractionated to yield three further fractions: F1, F2 and F3. Cytotoxicity of two major fractions was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The algal fucoidans specifically suppressed the proliferation of three cancer cell lines with less cytotoxicity against the normal cells. Selective cytotoxicity could relate to the distinctive structures of each fucoidan fraction. Results from this study provide evidence that fucoidan, especially from U. pinnatifida grown in New Zealand, possesses great potential to be used as a functional food to reduce cancer risk or supplement cancer treatment.

This study tested extracts from New Zealand seaweed Undaria pinnatifida containing fucoxanthin, in parallel with pure fucoxanthin, in nine human cancer cell lines, for anticancer activity. Growth inhibition effects of extracts from Undaria pinnatifida were found in all types of cancer cell lines in dose- and time- dependent manners. Cytotoxicity of fucoxanthin in three human non-cancer cell lines was also tested. Compared with pure fucoxanthin, our extracts containing low level of fucoxanthin were found to be more effective in inhibiting the growth of lung carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma and neuroblastoma. Our results suggest that fucoxanthin is a functional biomaterial that may be used as a chemopreventive phytochemical or in combination chemotherapy. Furthermore, we show for the first time that some unknown compounds with potential selective anti-cancer effects may exist in extracts of New Zealand Undaria pinnatifida, and New Zealand Undaria pinnatifida could be used as a source for either functional biomaterial extraction or production of functional food.

The content and composition of fucoidans extracted from Undaria pinnatifida from mussel farms at the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand were investigated using CaCl2 extraction. Crude fucoidan (F0) was subsequently extracted on a monthly basis from U. pinnatifida harvested from July to October 2011 from mussel farms in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. Fucoidan yield varied between the frond and sporophyll parts of the algae, with the sporophyll consistently the highest content. The yield from the sporophyll increased significantly from July (25.4-26.3%) to September (57.3-69.9%). Sulphate content in the extracted fucoidan increased more than twice within the same period, while fucose content remained constant. F0 was further purified by ion-exchange chromatography to yield three fractions, F1, F2 and F3. All three fucoidan fractions contained fucose as the primary sugar component followed by galactose, with xylose, glucose and mannose as minor constituents. All fractions exhibited strong antioxidant activities using the DPPH scavenging and CUPRAC assays. This study showed that sporophyll maturation of U. pinnatifida in New Zealand influenced fucoidan content and composition. Sporophyll fucoidan could potentially be a good resource for natural antioxidants.