6.9 Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Seaweeds are emerging as a future resource with various potential applications
for humankind, including food, production of functional substances, and a
source for energy and paper-making.
Carbohydrates accounts for more than half the composition of green, brown,
and red algae, the chief forms of seaweed. Some of the carbohydrates—the
polysaccharides alginic acid, carrageenan, fucoidans, and agar—have already
been put to a wide range of uses in products related to food, medicine, and
industry. New uses for partial hydrolysis products from these polysaccharides
are emerging by the day, and their use is expected to increase going forward.
Seaweeds living in different environments differ in the structure and properties of their physiologically active substances, which results in difficulties
acquiring consistent sources. This fact has been the biggest stumbling block so
far in the large-scale industrial use of seaweeds.
The paramount concern for factory production of seaweed-based polysaccharides is the acquisition of sources with consistent content and structure and
their functional components. Achieving this will require mass production
through farming in defined zones.
Also essential is the development of source seaweeds with high target
component content. Increasing the cost-effectiveness of bioenergy production
from seaweed, for example, will require increasing the content of source seaweed components (such as starch) that can be converted into energy.
Farming is a primary industry that has not been the subject of development
investment. Without farming, however, it will be impossible to develop and use
high value-added products from seaweed. Hopefully the future will bring the
development of new, targeted strains through seaweed breeding development
with biotechnology such as cell fusion and genetic manipulation.
References
Aguirre-Lipperheide, M., Estrada-Rodríyuez, F. J., & Evans, L. V. (1995). Facts, problems, and
needs in seaweed tissue culture: An appraisal. Journal of Phycology, 31(5), 677–688.
Amano, H. (1990). Algae Biotechnology. In K. Yamaguchi (Ed.), Marine Biochmistry (pp. 200–
209). Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo University Pub.
Aruga, U. (1990). Seaweed biotechnology. In F. Takashima (Ed.), Marine Biotechnology and
High Technology (pp. 98–118). Tokyo, Japan: Seizando-Shoten Publishing, Co.
Augst, A. D., Kong, H. J., & Mooney, D. J. (2006). Alginate hydrogels as biomaterials.
Macromolecular Bioscience, 6(8), 623–633.
Bierhalz, A. C. K., da Silva, M. A., & Kieckbusch, T. G. (2012). Natamycin release from
alginate/pectin films for food packaging applications. Journal of Food Engineering, 110(1),
18–25.
Borowitzka, M. A., Critchley, A. T., Kraan, S., Peters, A., Sjøtun, K., & Notoya, M. (2009). In
Proceedings of the 19th International Seaweed Symposium, held in Kobe, Japan, March 26–31,
2007, Springer Science & Business Media.
Brownlee, I., Allen, A., Pearson, J., Dettmar, P., Havler, M., Atherton, M., et al. (2005). Alginate
as a source of dietary fiber. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 45(6), 497–510.
Chaki, T. (2005). Function of alginic acid oligosaccharides and food application. In K. Inuuye
(Ed.), Functional glyco-materials: Their development and application to food ( pp. 151–159).
Tokyo, Japan: CMC Publishing, Co.
6.9 Chapter Summary and Conclusion
193
Seaweeds are emerging as a future resource with various potential applications
for humankind, including food, production of functional substances, and a
source for energy and paper-making.
Carbohydrates accounts for more than half the composition of green, brown,
and red algae, the chief forms of seaweed. Some of the carbohydrates—the
polysaccharides alginic acid, carrageenan, fucoidans, and agar—have already
been put to a wide range of uses in products related to food, medicine, and
industry. New uses for partial hydrolysis products from these polysaccharides
are emerging by the day, and their use is expected to increase going forward.
Seaweeds living in different environments differ in the structure and properties of their physiologically active substances, which results in difficulties
acquiring consistent sources. This fact has been the biggest stumbling block so
far in the large-scale industrial use of seaweeds.
The paramount concern for factory production of seaweed-based polysaccharides is the acquisition of sources with consistent content and structure and
their functional components. Achieving this will require mass production
through farming in defined zones.
Also essential is the development of source seaweeds with high target
component content. Increasing the cost-effectiveness of bioenergy production
from seaweed, for example, will require increasing the content of source seaweed components (such as starch) that can be converted into energy.
Farming is a primary industry that has not been the subject of development
investment. Without farming, however, it will be impossible to develop and use
high value-added products from seaweed. Hopefully the future will bring the
development of new, targeted strains through seaweed breeding development
with biotechnology such as cell fusion and genetic manipulation.
References
Aguirre-Lipperheide, M., Estrada-Rodríyuez, F. J., & Evans, L. V. (1995). Facts, problems, and
needs in seaweed tissue culture: An appraisal. Journal of Phycology, 31(5), 677–688.
Amano, H. (1990). Algae Biotechnology. In K. Yamaguchi (Ed.), Marine Biochmistry (pp. 200–
209). Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo University Pub.
Aruga, U. (1990). Seaweed biotechnology. In F. Takashima (Ed.), Marine Biotechnology and
High Technology (pp. 98–118). Tokyo, Japan: Seizando-Shoten Publishing, Co.
Augst, A. D., Kong, H. J., & Mooney, D. J. (2006). Alginate hydrogels as biomaterials.
Macromolecular Bioscience, 6(8), 623–633.
Bierhalz, A. C. K., da Silva, M. A., & Kieckbusch, T. G. (2012). Natamycin release from
alginate/pectin films for food packaging applications. Journal of Food Engineering, 110(1),
18–25.
Borowitzka, M. A., Critchley, A. T., Kraan, S., Peters, A., Sjøtun, K., & Notoya, M. (2009). In
Proceedings of the 19th International Seaweed Symposium, held in Kobe, Japan, March 26–31,
2007, Springer Science & Business Media.
Brownlee, I., Allen, A., Pearson, J., Dettmar, P., Havler, M., Atherton, M., et al. (2005). Alginate
as a source of dietary fiber. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 45(6), 497–510.
Chaki, T. (2005). Function of alginic acid oligosaccharides and food application. In K. Inuuye
(Ed.), Functional glyco-materials: Their development and application to food ( pp. 151–159).
Tokyo, Japan: CMC Publishing, Co.
6.9 Chapter Summary and Conclusion
193