Cultivation of the red algae Kappaphycus alvarezii in Brazil and its pharmacological potential

Abstract

Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) is a red algae widely cultivated as the main source of raw material for the carrageenan industry. This hydrocolloid is normally used in the food industry as a gelling and stabilizing agent. The facility of its commercial farming based on vegetative propagation promoted the success of the aquaculture of this macroalgae that consequently stimulated studies focusing on new potential uses of this resource. This work presents a brief review of the studies related to K. alvarezii cultivation in southern and southeastern Brazil, the latest discoveries in the world concerning pharmacological studies with this species and the advantages of the use of carrageenan as a source of dietary fiber, cholesterol reducer, and antioxidant, anti-viral and anti-cancer compounds, as well as the effects in hemagglutination activity.

Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Extracts of Selected Red and Brown Seaweeds from the Mandapam Coast of Tamil Nadu

“…All four seaweeds have been shown to have balanced amino acid profiles comparable to the Food and Agriculture Organization reference pattern (Harper ) and their use as components of animal feed and as a functional food for human use has already been proposed (Qasim ; Kumar and Kaladharan ). Besides this, seaweeds like K. alvarezii find widespread use as thickening and gelling agents and A. spicifera is consumed in many parts of the world as food and a folklore remedy (Hayashi and Reis ; Lavakumar et al. ).…”

Comparison of Nutritional Composition in Red and Green Strains of Kappaphycus Alvarezii Cultivated in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia

“…In the field of pharmacology, carrageenan of K. alvarezii is the sources of dietary fiber and affecting hemagglutination activity. The carrageenan also has cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties [7][8][9][10][11]. The growth rate and chemical composition of the seaweed are affected by several factors, namely, spatial and seasonal variation, reproductive status, geographical distribution, abiotic parameters, and species [1,[12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Biofouling in Brazilian commercial cultivation of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty ex P. C. Silva

“…Almost nine million tonnes of wet weight were produced in 2012 in tropical and subtropical regions to supply the growing demand of the carrageenan industry (FAO 2014). In 1995, K. alvarezii was introduced in Brazil to provide some of the raw material for the Brazilian carrageenan industry and to avoid depletion of natural beds of the native carragenophyte, Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen) J. V. Lamouroux (Hayashi and Reis 2012).…”

“…In Brazil, K. alvarezii is cultivated on floating raft systems (Góes and Reis 2012;Hayashi and Reis 2012). From the moment that the seedlings and the rafts are placed in the sea, a biochemical process is initiated on the substratum, followed by colonisation by bacteria and microscopic algae.…”