At Matís' Department of Biotechnology, researchers are, among other things, researching whether anti-algae substances from algae can be used as an additive in various health products and target foods, which is a rapidly expanding market.
One of these scientists is Wang Tao, who is studying for a doctorate in the Department of Food and Nutrition at the University of Iceland with research facilities at Matís ohf. For the past year, it has been screening for anti-corrosion substances in algae off the coast of Iceland, but the project is part of Gold in Aegir's fists (Novel antioxidants from Icelandic marine sources) sponsored by the AVS fund.
In the spring of 2007, many species of algae were collected, the total amount of polyphenols was determined and the anti-inflammatory activity or antioxidant activity was assessed by several antioxidant assays. Algae contain, among other things, polyphenols that have high bioactivity, including antidepressant activity. The brown algae, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed, seaweed and algae were collected, as well as silverweed and seaweed, which are red algae, and marijuana, which is green algae.
It was found that the highest levels of polyphenols were found in the brown algae, especially in the seaweed, and there was a strong correlation between the levels of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of the algae. Preliminary evidence also shows that seaweed has an antihypertensive effect (ACE inhibitory activity), but this needs to be examined further.
Based on these results, it was decided to collect more seaweed and salsa last autumn and investigate further. Various methods have been tested to isolate the anti-corrosion substances from the algae, including the use of several types of enzymes. The next steps are to further purify the polyphenols from the algae and examine which polyphenols have anti-corrosion properties. It will be discussed later how they can be added to foods to increase stability, taste and nutritional value.
Wang Tao, an Associate Professor at Dalaian University in China, attended the United Nations School of Fisheries in the fall of 2005 and is currently receiving a grant. She has extensive experience in researching fish protein hydrolysates and algae, which is useful in this project. Her supervisors are Dr. Guðrún Ólafsdóttir Research Service Sýn and Guðjón Þorkelsson Associate Professor at the University of Iceland and Head of Department at Matís, Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson University of Iceland / Matís and Charlotte Jacobsen DIFRES-DTU Denmark.
The first results of the project were presented at The 5th Euro Fed Lipid Congress and 24th Symposium of the Nordic Lipid Forums, in Gothenburg, Sweden in September 2007. Poster