This study was carried out to investigate preference and purchase factors of seaweed in some regional residents of Korea. Subjects were residents (n = 1,218) whose residential area was divided into inland and coastal region and the survey was done during December 2007. Especially, purchase factors of seaweeds was conducted only in married females (n = 353). The subjects are composed of 46.5% male and 53.5% female. Regional distribution of subjects was found to be 16~17%, with highest ratio in the age bracket of 20~29 years old. Proportion of students, at 29.8%, was the highest ranking occupation of the subjects. Preference score of seaweeds by region was highest for laver followed by brown seaweed and sea tangle. In terms of preference by gender, female subjects displayed higher preference score for green laver (p < 0.01), seaweed fusiforme, brown seaweed, sea tangle (p < 0.001) than the male subjects. Considerations being made when purchasing seaweeds for each region were in the order of freshness, taste and nutrition. In comparing the inland and coastal region, scores of freshness, convenience, design and color for the coastal region was higher, displaying significant difference.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Occupations ; Seaweed

OBJECTIVES: Maintaining a balanced diet and thus health is crucial for adolescents, and the first step for balanced diet practice is meal planning. Adolescents, however, find it difficult to plan their meals. This study thus was set out to design an easier way of planning meals for adolescent girls. METHODS: A dish-based target pattern for adolescent girls was tabulated, and validity of this was examined. Meal plan applying a dish-based target pattern was prepared by 150 female middle school students, and nutritional adequacies of those meal plans were examined. Validity and adequacy were tested by energy content, energy contribution ratio, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), probability of nutrient inadequacy, index of nutritional quality (INQ) calculation. RESULTS: A dish-based target pattern with 11 dish groups was validated for nutritional adequacy. Though the NAR of calcium was 0.96, the INQ of calcium was 1.00. The average energy supply from the meal plans was 2,379 kcal, higher than the estimated energy requirement of a female middle school student, but the energy contribution ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats were all adequate according to the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR). NAR of all nutrients examined were 1.0, except for calcium. The NAR and INQ of calcium were 0.87 and 0.75, respectively, and the meal plans at risk for calcium inadequacy was 19.30%. CONCLUSIONS: A dish-based target pattern proposed for adolescent girls was valid, but the meal plan prepared by female middle school students using this approach was high in energy and low in calcium supply. To cut down the energy supply from the meal plan, it is necessary to recommend dishes low in fat and use low fat cooking methods. To increase the calcium supply, it is important to recommend seaweed and legume group dishes with higher Ca INQ food items.
Adolescent* ; Calcium ; Carbohydrates ; Cooking ; Diet ; Fabaceae ; Fats ; Female ; Humans ; Meals ; Nutritive Value ; Seaweed

The purpose of this study was to examine the dietary behavior of children according to their preference for fast food. The study was carried out on 470, 6th grade students (boys : 236, girls : 234) in September, 2002. The results are summarized as follows : The mean body mass index was 18.72 kg/m2 for boys and 17.76 kg/m2 for girls. The subjective health disorder symptoms for the group preferring fast food was not significantly different than that of the other groups. The group preferring fast food consumed an inadequate volume of food, and they had an irregular and unbalanced diet. Their intake of green vegetables, vegetables, protein foods, and seaweed was significantly lower than that of the other groups. The food habit score for the group preferring fast food was lower than that of the other groups, and they had irregular meal times and had unbalanced diets. The group preferring fast food had a preference for sweet tastes, whilst members of the other group preferred a savory taste. The first choice for fast food by the group preferring fast food was hamburgers, the reason being that it tasted good. Results show that children who have a preference for fast food need to correct their dietary behavior. As a result, proper nutritional education and intervention is required in order to improve the consuming habits of children and their preference for fast food.
Body Mass Index ; Child* ; Diet ; Education ; Fast Foods* ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Meals ; Satureja ; Seaweed ; Vegetables

Alginate, which is isolated from brown seaweed, is a bioabsorbable long chain polysaccharides, beta-D-mannuronic acid and alpha-L-guluronic acid. The authors produced alginates and alginate-colllagen as a disc form. Then, to evaluate the efficacy of alginate and alginate-collagen complex as a wound healing material, three full-thickness skin defects of 2 cm in diameter were made at the back of the New Zealand white rabbits. Three groups of dressing materials-alginate, alginate-collagen complex and vaseline gauze as control group - were applied on the wound and the results were evaluated grossly and histopathologically. The authors compared gross findings of sizes of healed wound, wound epithelization and wound contraction by tracing the remaining wound area at 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th day after wound introduction, and wound biopsy was performed at 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st day, respectively. Alginate and alginate-collagen complex showed statistically higher percentage of wound contraction and wound healing compared to control group(p<0.05). Alginate-collagen complex showed statistically higher percentage of wound contraction, epithelization and wound healing compared to alginate alone. In conclusion, the result suggests that alginate has a good effect of wound healing and that alginate-collagen complex is more effective in wound healing than alginate alone.
Alginates ; Bandages ; Biopsy ; Collagen* ; Petrolatum ; Polysaccharides ; Rabbits ; Seaweed ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial* ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the intake and preference of Kimchi in middle school students. A questionnaire was used as the instrument of investigation. The subjects were 375 male and 278 female students in Masan and Changwon City. The main results of this study are as follows. Fifty-nine point seven percent of the subjects liked Kimchi, whereas 3.7% of them disliked it, and the main reason liking Kimchi was 'hot taste' of Kimchi. Korean cabbage Kimchi and cubed radish Kimchi were highly preferred. And the preferred dishes made with Kimchi were stir-fried rice with Kimchi, Kimchi stew, pan-fried Kimch, seaweed rice with Kimch, Kimch pancake, Mandu with Kimchi, pork stew with Kimch. More than 90% of the subjects had eaten 6 kinds of Kimchi : Korean cabbage Kimchi, cubed radish Kimchi, radish leaves Kimchi, radish root & leaves Kimchi, watery radish Kimchi, white Kimchi. The frequency of Kimchi intake was 55.1% of the subjects ate Kimchi in every meal time, and 21.9% ate 2 times in a day. They preferred 'well fermented' and 'freshly prepared' Kimchi, and it was significantly difference between gender, male students more liked 'freshly prepared', whereas female students more liked 'well fermented' Kimchi(p<0.01).
Brassica ; Female ; Gyeongsangnam-do* ; Humans ; Male ; Meals ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Raphanus ; Seaweed

OBJECTIVE: Articular cartilage has a highly limited capacity to repair because of lack of blood supply. There have been no effective modality to regenerate the articular cartilage and prevent degenerative changes. It is necessary to proliferate the cells in vitro, however the cells lose their phenotype during in vitro monolayer culture. Although it is not enough to increase the number of the cells in the three dimensional culture, it is a effective way to maintain their original phenotype expression. Alginate has been used as a good source of scaffold in chondrocyte three dimensional culture. The objective of this study was to find the most favorable scaffold for chondrocyte viability among various alginate extracted from natural source in chondrocyte three dimensional culture. METHODS: The alginate extracted from brown seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida and sea tangle, Laminaria japonica inhabitating near Korean sea and commercially available alginate were used. Chondrocytes isolated from adult pig were used. Three kinds of chondrocyte-alginate bead were made and incubated for forty-four days. Cellular viability and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content were measured and compared. SPSS Version 10.0 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Viability of chondrocyte and GAG content were increased as a function of time. Alginate from brown seaweed, U. pinnatifida appeared more favorable to maintain chondrocyte viability than others. The total GAG content was similar among three kinds of alginate CONCLUSION: Alginate extracted from natural see weed, especially brown seaweed, may be a good source to maintain chondrocyte viability in three dimensional culture.
Adult ; Cartilage, Articular ; Chondrocytes* ; Humans ; Laminaria ; Phenotype ; Seaweed ; Statistics as Topic ; Undaria

Fucoidan, a fucose-rich sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown seaweed in the class Phaeophyceae, has been widely studied for its possible health benefits. However, the potential of fucoidan as a possible treatment for hyperpigmentation is not fully understood. This study investigated the effects of fucoidan on melanogenesis and related signaling pathways using Mel-Ab cells. Fucoidan significantly decreased melanin content. While fucoidan treatment decreased tyrosinase activity, it did not do so directly. Western blot analysis indicated that fucoidan downregulated microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and reduced tyrosinase protein expression. Further investigation showed that fucoidan activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, suggesting a possible mechanism for the inhibition of melanin synthesis. Treatment with PD98059, a specific ERK inhibitor, resulted in the recovery of melanin production. Taken together, these findings suggest that fucoidan inhibits melanogenesis via ERK phosphorylation.
Blotting, Western ; Hyperpigmentation ; Insurance Benefits ; Melanins ; Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Phaeophyta ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Seaweed

OBJECTIVES: College is an important time for students to establish their identity as an independent subjects and develop a foundation to maintain a healthy adulthood. However, after female students become college students, their eating habits are likely to become more irregular and they may experience various health problems because of excessive weight control. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the dietary behaviors and blood clinical indices of female college students by residence types. METHODS: A total of 374 subjects were classified as home group, self-boarding group or boarding group according to residence type. Dietary habits, frequency of food intake, and eating attitudes were examined through questionnaires and anthropometric measurements and blood clinical indices were analyzed. RESULTS: The meal most frequently skipped by female college students was breakfast, and the frequency of skipping breakfast was significantly lower in the home group than other groups. Most college students recognized that their eating habits had worsened since becoming college students, with the self-boarding group in particular feeling that their eating habits changed negatively. The consumption frequencies of protein foods, fruits, dairy products, seaweed, and fatty meats were significantly lower in the self-boarding group than other groups. The home group ate food cut into smaller pieces, while the self-boarding group tried new and rich foods. Residence types did not affect blood clinical indices. CONCLUSIONS: The self-boarding group had inadequate dietary habits compared to the home group. Although residence type did not affect the blood clinical indices, the students still had poor dietary habits. Therefore, proper nutrition education is needed to improve the nutritional status of college students, especially those that self-board.
Breakfast ; Dairy Products ; Eating ; Education ; Female ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Humans ; Meals ; Meat ; Nutritional Status ; Seaweed ; Seoul

Agarum clathratum, a brown macroalgae species, has recently become a serious environmental problem on the coasts of Korea. In an effort to solve this problem, fungal diversity associated with decaying A. clathratum was investigated and related β-glucosidase and endoglucanase activities were described. A total of 233 fungal strains were isolated from A. clathratum at 15 sites and identified 89 species based on morphology and a multigene analysis using the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and protein-coding genes including actin (act), β-tubulin (benA), calmodulin (CaM), and translation elongation factor (tef1). Acremonium, Corollospora, and Penicillium were the dominant genera, and Acremonium fuci and Corollospora gracilis were the dominant species. Fifty-one species exhibited cellulase activity, with A. fuci, Alfaria terrestris, Hypoxylon perforatum, P. madriti, and Pleosporales sp. Five showing the highest enzyme activities. Further enzyme quantification confirmed that these species had higher cellulase activity than P. crysogenum, a fungal species described in previous studies. This study lays the groundwork for bioremediation using fungi to remove decaying seaweed from populated areas and provides important background for potential industrial applications of environmentally friendly processes.
Acremonium ; Actins ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Calmodulin ; Cellulase ; Fungi ; Korea ; Penicillium ; Peptide Elongation Factors ; Seaweed

Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Information Services ; Menopause ; Mustard Plant ; Quality of Life ; Seaweed ; Undaria