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The emission rates of the atmospherically important halogenated trace gases CHBr3, CHBr2Cl and CHBrCl2 were measured from two commercially important tropical red seaweed species Gracilaria manilaensis Yamamoto and Trono, and Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) L.M.Liao in a range of environments to investigate the potential impact of seaweed aquaculture on atmospheric halocarbon concentrations. Deep convective transport in the tropics can carry such volatile halocarbons to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. In this first study of its kind, emissions from these two seaweed species were measured after growing on an offshore platform, in onshore tanks, and in cages at a river mouth in eastern Peninsular Malaysia. Of the three cultivation systems, the amount of CHBr3 released by G. manilaensis was highest from the cage culture at the river mouth (267 ± 13 ppbv), followed by the offshore platform (78 ± 47 ppbv) and onshore tank (69 ± 69 ppbv). Daylight emissions by G. manilaensis and K. alvarezii from both offshore and onshore cultivations were greater than in the dark. The global production of seaweed is projected to increase further due to the rising demand for seaweed products, the emphasis on clean energy, and climate action. Harvesting of commercial seaweeds could potentially significantly increase local atmospheric abundances of CHBr3; in our study 500 g of these typical seaweeds increased CHBr3 in a 40 L flux chamber by 41–267 ppbv in 30 min; far above usual background amounts. As our study showed that higher temperatures increase seaweed halocarbon emissions, given impending climate change, and the possible extension of seaweed cultivation to subtropical seas as seawater temperatures rise, this might further increase halocarbon emissions. We estimate that the harvesting of K. alvarezii in the year 2020 in Malaysia could have released 63–322 mol Br for each hour of harvesting activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records of taxa of benthic marine macroalgae in the Philippines continue to increase as molecularbased biodiversity and systematics research involving seaweed specimens collected from various localities in the country continue to grow. Several molecular systematics studies on seaweeds within the last decade also resulted in taxonomic, nomenclatural, and classification changes, consequently affecting our knowledge and understanding of the biodiversity of the Philippine seaweed flora. Moreover, global efforts to make biodiversity resources that are deposited in various herbaria openly available through online databases provide a good opportunity to reassess our current foundational biodiversity knowledge on these ecologically and economically important marine resources. Herein, we provide an updated checklist of Philippine seaweeds by integrating results of recent biodiversity and systematics studies and by perusing open-access records of seaweeds collected from the Philippines that are deposited in foreign herbaria and/or found in online databases. We report a total of 1,065 seaweed taxa in the Philippines; this is composed primarily of 600 red seaweed taxa (Florideophyceae and Bangiophyceae, Rhodophyta), followed by 272 green seaweed taxa (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta), and by 193 brown seaweed taxa (Phaeophyceae, Ochrophyta). We added a total of 104 new records (including recently described species) to the latest checklist on Philippine seaweeds in 2013, more than half of which were derived from records of the collections deposited in foreign herbaria. The latter highlights the need to make herbarium collection records accessible and underscores the important role of herbaria (and museums in general) in documenting and preserving biodiversity resources of biodiversity hotspot areas such as the Philippines. We also reiterate here the call to increase support in building local expertise and funding on marine (seaweed) biodiversity and systematics research as these are crucial not only in documenting and conserving our marine biodiversity resources but also in developing them for their socio-economic values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phlorotannins are primary and/or secondary metabolites found exclusively in brown seaweeds, but their geographic distribution and abundance dynamic are not very well understood. In this study we evaluated the phlorotannin concentrations among and within-species of brown seaweeds in a broad latitudinal context (range of 21°) along the Brazilian coast (Southwestern Atlantic), using the Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric method. In almost all species (16 out of 17) very low phlorotannin concentrations were found (

Phlorotannins are primary and/or secondary metabolites found exclusively in brown seaweeds, but their geographic distribution and abundance dynamic are not very well understood. In this study we evaluated the phlorotannin concentrations among and within-species of brown seaweeds in a broad latitudinal context (range of 21°) along the Brazilian coast (Southwestern Atlantic), using the Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric method. In almost all species (16 out of 17) very low phlorotannin concentrations were found (<2.0%, dry weight for the species), confirming reports of the typical amounts of these chemicals in tropical brown seaweeds, but with significantly distinct values among seven different and probably highly structured populations. In all 17 seaweed species (but a total of 25 populations) analyzed there were significant differences on the amount of phlorotannins in different individuals (t-test, p < 0.01), with coefficients of variation (CV) ranging from 5.2% to 65.3%. The CV, but not the total amount of phlorotannins, was significantly correlated with latitude, and higher values of both these variables were found in brown seaweeds collected at higher latitudes. These results suggest that brown seaweeds from higher latitudes can produce phlorotannins in a wider range of amounts and probably as response to environmental variables or stimuli, compared to low latitude algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the second most common female tumor worldwide, surpassed only by breast cancer. Natural products from seaweeds evidencing apoptotic activity have attracted a great deal of attention as new leads for alternative and complementary preventive or therapeutic anticancer agents. Here, methanol extracts from 13 species of tropical seaweeds (Rhodophytas, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta) collected from the Northeast of Brazil were assessed as apoptosis-inducing agents on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa). All extracts showed different levels of cytotoxicity against HeLa cells; the most potent were obtained from the brown alga Dictyota cilliolata (MEDC) and Dictyota menstrualis (MEDM). In addition, MEDC and MEDM also inhibits SiHa (cervix carcinoma) cell proliferation. Studies with these two extracts using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy showed that HeLa cells exposed to MEDM and MEDC exhibit morphological and biochemical changes that characterize apoptosis as shown by loss of cell viability, chromatin condensation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and sub-G1 cell cycle phase accumulation, also MEDC induces cell cycle arrest in cell cycle phase S. Moreover, the activation of caspases 3 and 9 by these extracts suggests a mitochondria-dependent apoptosis route. However, other routes cannot be ruled out. Together, these results point out the methanol extracts of the brown algae D. mentrualis and D. cilliolata as potential sources of molecules with antitumor activity.

Increased seaweed consumption may be linked to the lower incidence of metabolic syndrome in eastern Asia. This study investigated the responses to two tropical green seaweeds, Ulva ohnoi (UO) and Derbesia tenuissima (DT), in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome. Male Wistar rats (330–340 g) were fed either a corn starch-rich diet or a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with 25% fructose in drinking water, for 16 weeks. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats showed the signs of metabolic syndrome leading to abdominal obesity, cardiovascular remodelling and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food was supplemented with 5% dried UO or DT for the final 8 weeks only. UO lowered total final body fat mass by 24%, systolic blood pressure by 29 mmHg, and improved glucose utilisation and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, DT did not change total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides by 38% and total cholesterol by 17%. UO contained 18.1% soluble fibre as part of 40.9% total fibre, and increased magnesium, while DT contained 23.4% total fibre, essentially as insoluble fibre. UO was more effective in reducing metabolic syndrome than DT, possibly due to the increased intake of soluble fibre and magnesium.

Limited resources of freshwater and decreasing fossil fuel resources are two main reasons to consider the ocean as a huge resource for producing food, feed, fertilizer and feedstock for fuel. In this study, twenty-nine tropical seaweeds (11 green, 10 red and 8 brown seaweeds) collected in Malaysia were assessed as potential feedstock for bioethanol production. Total carbohydrate content ranged from 12.16 to 71.22% dry weight (DW) with total reducing sugar content ranging from 5.17 to 34.12% DW. During hydrolysis using dilute sulphuric acid, the dominant fermentation inhibitors were 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and phenolic compounds. Overliming was found to reduce the content of fermentation inhibitors by up to 79%. The red seaweeds, Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C.Silva and Gracilaria manilaensis Yamamoto and Trono, were selected for optimization of saccharification and fermentation of the hydrolysate, because they had the highest carbohydrate contents and are commercially cultivated. The most suitable dilute acid conditions obtained in present study was sulphuric acid (2.5%, w v−1) treatment at 121 °C for 40 min that produced 0.29 and 0.34 g g−1 DW reducing sugar for K. alvarezii and G. manilaensis, respectively. Fermentation of the hydrolysates with Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced bioethanol yields of 20.90 g L−1 (71.0% of theoretical yield) for K. alvarezii and 18.16 g L−1 (67.9% theoretical yield) for G. manilaensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five tropical seaweeds, Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva, Padina australis Hauck, Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh (syn. S. aquifolium (Turner) C. Agardh), Sargassum siliquosum J. Agardh and Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing, were incubated in seawater of pH 8.0, 7.8 (ambient), 7.6, 7.4 and 7.2, to study the effects of changing seawater pH on halocarbon emissions. Eight halocarbon species known to be emitted by seaweeds were investigated: bromoform (CHBr3), dibro­momethane (CH2Br2), iodomethane (CH3I), diiodomethane (CH2I2), bromoiodomethane (CH2BrI), bromochlorometh­ane (CH2BrCl), bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl2), and dibro­mochloromethane (CHBr2Cl). These very short-lived halocarbon gases are believed to contribute to stratospheric halogen concentrations if released in the tropics. It was observed that the seaweeds emit all eight halocarbons assayed, with the exception of K. alvarezii and S. binderi for CH2I2 and CH3I respectively, which were not measurable at the achievable limit of detection. The effect of pH on halocarbon emission by the seaweeds was shown to be species-specific and compound specific. The highest percentage changes in emissions for the halocarbons of interest were observed at the lower pH levels of 7.2 and 7.4 especially in Padina australis and Sargassum spp., showing that lower seawater pH causes elevated emissions of some halocarbon compounds. In general the seaweed least affected by pH change in terms of types of halocarbon emission, was P. australis. The commercially farmed seaweed K. alvarezii was very sensitive to pH change as shown by the high increases in most of the compounds in all pH levels relative to ambient. In terms of percentage decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) prior to and after incubation, there were no significant correlations with the various pH levels tested for all seaweeds. The correlation between percentage decrease in the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (Fv∕Fm) and halocarbon emission rates, was significant only for CH2BrCl emission by P. australis (r = 0.47; p ≤ 0.04), implying that photosynthesis may not be closely linked to halocarbon emissions by the seaweeds studied. Bromine was the largest contributor to the total mass of halogen emitted for all the seaweeds at all pH. The highest total amount of bromine emitted by K. alvarezii (an average of 98% of total mass of halogens) and the increase in the total amount of chlorine with decreasing seawater pH fuels concern for the expanding seaweed farming activities in the ASEAN region.

Carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the second most common female tumor worldwide, surpassed only by breast cancer. Natural products from seaweeds evidencing apoptotic activity have attracted a great deal of attention as new leads for alternative and complementary preventive or therapeutic anticancer agents. Here, methanol extracts from 13 species of tropical seaweeds (Rhodophytas, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta) collected from the Northeast of Brazil were assessed as apoptosis-inducing agents on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa). All extracts showed different levels of cytotoxicity against HeLa cells; the most potent were obtained from the brown alga Dictyota cilliolata (MEDC) and Dictyota menstrualis (MEDM). In addition, MEDC and MEDM also inhibits SiHa (cervix carcinoma) cell proliferation. Studies with these two extracts using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy showed that HeLa cells exposed to MEDM and MEDC exhibit morphological and biochemical changes that characterize apoptosis as shown by loss of cell viability, chromatin condensation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and sub-G1 cell cycle phase accumulation, also MEDC induces cell cycle arrest in cell cycle phase S. Moreover, the activation of caspases 3 and 9 by these extracts suggests a mitochondria-dependent apoptosis route. However, other routes cannot be ruled out. Together, these results point out the methanol extracts of the brown algae D. mentrualis and D. cilliolata as potential sources of molecules with antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased seaweed consumption may be linked to the lower incidence of metabolic syndrome in eastern Asia. This study investigated the responses to two tropical green seaweeds, Ulva ohnoi (UO) and Derbesia tenuissima (DT), in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome. Male Wistar rats (330-340 g) were fed either a corn starch-rich diet or a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with 25% fructose in drinking water, for 16 weeks. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats showed the signs of metabolic syndrome leading to abdominal obesity, cardiovascular remodelling and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food was supplemented with 5% dried UO or DT for the final 8 weeks only. UO lowered total final body fat mass by 24%, systolic blood pressure by 29 mmHg, and improved glucose utilisation and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, DT did not change total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides by 38% and total cholesterol by 17%. UO contained 18.1% soluble fibre as part of 40.9% total fibre, and increased magnesium, while DT contained 23.4% total fibre, essentially as insoluble fibre. UO was more effective in reducing metabolic syndrome than DT, possibly due to the increased intake of soluble fibre and magnesium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-two tropical seaweeds from the Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta were examined for their possible use as nutritional supplements. All seaweeds contained balanced Na/K and C/N ratio and high amounts of macroelements (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) as compared to the terrestrial vegetables. Among the microelements, Fe was the highest followed by Zn, Mn, Cu and other trace elements. Fatty acid distribution showed high level of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and their ratios were within the WHO prescribed limits. The higher ratios of PUFA/SFA (>0.4) are in agreement with the recommendations of nutritional guidelines. Most of the species, especially the Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta, had permissible intake values of unsaturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes comparable to milk-based products. Principal component analysis demonstrated a correlation between total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, DPPH, and O radical scavenging activity, suggesting polyphenols as the chief contributor to the antioxidant activity in seaweeds. These results indicate that these seaweeds could be a potential source of natural antioxidants, minerals and high-quality PUFAs and may be efficiently used as ingredients in functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four tropical seaweeds, Gracilaria manilaensis Yamamoto & Trono, Ulva reticulata Forsskål , Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) L.M.Liao and Turbinaria conoides (J.Agardh) Kützing, collected from various habitats throughout Malaysia, were subjected to temperatures of 40, 35, 30, 25 and 20 °C in the laboratory. An exposure range of 21–38 °C is reported for Malaysian waters. The effect of the temperature exposures on the halocarbon emissions of the seaweeds were determined 4 and 28 h after treatment. The emission rates for a suite of six halocarbons commonly emitted by seaweeds, bromoform (CHBr 3), dibromomethane (CH 2 Br 2), diiodomethane (CH 2 I 2), iodomethane (CH 3 I), dibromochloromethane (CHBr 2 Cl) and dichlorobromomethane (CHBrCl 2), were measured using a cryogenic purge-and-trap sample preparation system coupled to a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The emission rate of CHBr 3 was the highest of the six halocarbons for all the seaweeds under all the temperatures tested, followed by CH 2 Br 2 , and CH 2 I 2. The emission rates were affected by temperature change and exposure duration, but overall responses were unique to each seaweed species. Larger decreases in the emissions of CHBr 3 , CH 2 Br 2 , CH 2 I 2 and CHBr 2 Cl were found for K. alvarezii and T. conoides after 4 h at 40 °C. In both cases there was a >90% (p < 0.05) reduction in the F v /F m value suggesting that photosynthetic actitivity was severely compromised. After a 28 h exposure period, strong negative correlations (r = −0.69 to −0.95; p < 0.01) were observed between temperature and the emission of CHBr 3 , CH 2 Br 2 and CH 2 I 2 for U. reticulata, K. alvarezii and T. conoides. This suggests a potential decrease in the halocarbon emissions from these tropical seaweeds, especially where the temperature increase is a prolonged event. Strong correlations were also seen between seaweed chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment contents and the emission rates for CHBr 3 , CH 2 Br 2 and CH 2 I 2 (r = 0.48 to 0.96 and −0.49 to −0.96; p < 0.05). These results suggest that the regulation of halocarbon production versus reactive oxygen species production in seaweeds is an area worthy of further exploration. [Display omitted] • Tropical seaweeds including the commercially farmed Kappaphycus alvarezii emit high concentrations of CHBr 3 and CH 2 I 2. • Temperature levels and the exposure duration to the temperature affect halocarbon emissions by tropical seaweeds. • Longer exposure to increasing temperature levels could reduce halocarbon emissions. • Responses to temperature and exposure duration are species-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five tropical seaweeds, Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P.C. Silva, Padina australis Hauck, Sargassum binderi Sonder ex J. Agardh (syn. S. aquifolium (Turner) C. Agardh), Sargassum siliquosum J. Agardh and Turbinaria conoides (J. Agardh) Kützing, were incubated in seawater of pH 8.0, 7.8 (ambient), 7.6, 7.4 and 7.2, to study the effects of changing seawater pH on halocarbon emissions. Eight halocarbon species known to be emitted by seaweeds were investigated: bromoform (CHBr 3 ), dibro-momethane (CH 2 Br 2 ), iodomethane (CH 3 I), diiodomethane (CH 2 I 2 ), bromoiodomethane (CH 2 BrI), bromochlorometh-ane (CH 2 BrCl), bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl 2 ), and dibro-mochloromethane (CHBr 2 Cl). These very short-lived halocarbon gases are believed to contribute to stratospheric halogen concentrations if released in the tropics. It was observed that the seaweeds emit all eight halocarbons assayed, with the exception of K. alvarezii and S. binderi for CH 2 I 2 and CH 3 I respectively, which were not measurable at the achievable limit of detection. The effect of pH on halocarbon emission by the seaweeds was shown to be species-specific and compound specific. The highest percentage changes in emissions for the halocarbons of interest were observed at the lower pH levels of 7.2 and 7.4 especially in Padina australis and Sargassum spp., showing that lower seawater pH causes elevated emissions of some halocarbon compounds. In general the seaweed least affected by pH change in terms of types of halocarbon emission, was P. australis . The commercially farmed seaweed K. alvarezii was very sensitive to pH change as shown by the high increases in most of the compounds in all pH levels relative to ambient. In terms of percentage decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis ( F v ∕ F m ) prior to and after incubation, there were no significant correlations with the various pH levels tested for all seaweeds. The correlation between percentage decrease in the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis ( F v ∕ F m ) and halocarbon emission rates, was significant only for CH 2 BrCl emission by P. australis ( r  = 0.47; p  ≤ 0.04), implying that photosynthesis may not be closely linked to halocarbon emissions by the seaweeds studied. Bromine was the largest contributor to the total mass of halogen emitted for all the seaweeds at all pH. The highest total amount of bromine emitted by K. alvarezii (an average of 98% of total mass of halogens) and the increase in the total amount of chlorine with decreasing seawater pH fuels concern for the expanding seaweed farming activities in the ASEAN region., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.