Seaweeds belong to a group of organisms that has enormous ecological importance and represent a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Seaweeds have always been of great interest in Asian culture as marine food sources (Rioux et al., 2009). In contrast, Seaweeds represent an important economical resource mostly in the countries of East and south Asia where they are not only largely harvested but also intensively and largely employed in the human nutrition (Caliceti et al., 2002). They can be classified as green algae (Chlorophyta), red algae (Rhodophyta) and brown algae (Phaeophyta) depending on their nutrient and chemical composition (Dawczynski et al., 2007). In addition, the seaweed industry uses tones of wet seaweeds annually, either from the wild or from cultivated crop (Dhargalkar and Verlecar, 2009). Seaweeds or marine macroalgae are potential renewable resource in the marine environment and known to be extremely rich source of bioactive compounds (Chandini et al., 2008). Therefore, algae can be a very interesting natural source of new metabolites with various biological activities that could be used as functional ingredients (Plaza et al., 2008). Biological activities are correlated to the presence of chemical compounds, particularly secondary metabolites. The presence of these compounds may assist in predicting some traditional uses of medicinal plants (Kamatou et al, 2008). However, novel potential areas have to be explored in order to maximize the effective utilization of seaweeds.
The Phaeophyceae or brown seaweeds are a large group of multicellular algae, and they play an important role in marine environments both as food, and for the habitats they form. Most brown seaweeds contain the pigment fucoxanthin and various pheophycean tannins which are responsible for the distinctive greenish-brown color as the name indicated. Worldwide there are about 1500 species of brown seaweeds and they produce vast numbers of useful secondary metabolites (Davis et al., 2003, Reddy and Urban, 2009). Some species are of sufficient commercial importance, such that they have become subjects of extensive research in their own right.
The term cosmeceutical is now commonly used to describe a cosmetic product that exerts a pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit (Choi and Berson, 2006). Therefore, cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products with biologically active ingredients purporting to have medical or drug-like benefits. Dermatological research suggests that the bioactive ingredients used in cosmeceuticals do indeed have benefits beyond the traditional cosmetics such as creams, lotions, and ointments (Chen et al., 2005). There are number of synthetic components have been extensively used as ingredients for cosmetics.
Dinoflagellates are one of the four main types of phytoplankton, which are photosynthetic, single celled and free living organisms in the ocean. Dinoflagellates cause the Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) also known as the red tide effect (Hackett et al 2004). Toxicity persisting at upper levels of the food chain is detected in them from the ones which are toxic, but not all such blooms are toxic. Enhanced detection capabilities may in part contribute to observed high frequency and severity of toxic blooms. As they are also important in the health of coral reefs their study has gained significant interest. Species are often selected for genome sequencing based on their importance as a model organism or relevance to human health, such as the HAB case.
We all know that cosmetics existed thousands of years ago. Cleopatra used a heavy arsenal of beauty aids to help her shake the foundations of the Roman Empire. Yes, cosmetics and perfumes have a long history, but the consumer industry we live in is relatively recent, a creation of the decades 1890 through 1920. The products hawked in the 19th Century by druggists, perfumers, barbers, physicians, and a colorful assortment of other enterprising individuals were primitive by our standards. Certainly, active ingredients were used with abandon, notably arsenic, lead, and mercury. These were products that really made visible differences, and the consumer was well-advised to be wary of the majority of these mysterious concoctions.
SUMMARIZE: The article grants information on new models in cosmetics to take the place of animal experimentation. It goes on to talk about how the European Union has now banned using animal-based test for cosmetic reasoning. Pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies have been using computer-like tools to assess the toxicity it has for years. The author incorporates information on cosmetics and the outlook on further research. ‘According to experts, combination of laboratory-based with virtual work will be the future of testing and is progressing faster than they expected.” (87 words)
Flatworms belong to the phylum Platyhelminthes. They have the simplest body plan of all bilaterally symmetrical animals. They are called flatworms because their bodies are compressed. The mouth is the only opening into the digestive cavity the flatworms have. Food is taken in through this hole and wastes are discharged also through this hole. Flatworms have a well-defined nervous, muscular, excretory, and reproductive system. The flatworm distributes the food it digests through a digestive tube that branches throughout all of its body parts. The fact that the worm’s body is flat serves many purposes. It allows the worm to hid in small spaces, to fit into the opening of other animals if the worm is parasitic, and it means that all the cells are close enough to the surface for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with the environment (Meinkoth 399).
The first known use of dermatology was established in 1819 and only in the 1930’s did its practice become more widely accomplished, known and sought after. (“Dermatology” 2014) Since then it has extensively evolved and changed and been able to provide services for women and men around the world. Originally being a part of the medicine field can now be considered a division of the beauty industry due to availability of services and treatments for aesthetic, pampering purposes, rather than just originally founded for medical issues of resolving skin disorders and diseases. Dermatology being defined as ‘a branch of medicine dealing with the skin, its structure, functions and diseases’ (“Dermatology” 2014) now offers many professions one being a dermatologist, whic...
Lastly, topical treatments are medicine that are applied to the skin. These creams, gels, oils, foams and lotions are used as an anti-inflammatory agent. These have ranges of potency from super potent to least potent or 1-7. For example, corticosteroid, the most common prescribed topical, is a steroid that affects the growth and inflammation of the epidermis. However, this is often used for mild to moderate cases only since side effects of using topical treatments can result in changing of the skin, dilated blood vessels,and irritation of the skin.
Wiping the sweat from my brow I called a halt to the crew. Phil and I dumped our packs and found a comfy boulder to rest on. I looked back to where the last guys were coming from back down the trail. They had stopped talking a while back and marched slowly along the dirt trail. Phil produced an energy-bar he’d saved from breakfast and began to munch on it as I drained another water bottle. After the refreshing drink I laid back against the rock and stared up at the pine trees. But a moment later, hearing grumble about sore legs, I sat up, grinning, “By the map we only have another couple hours.”
The purpose of this term paper is to provide information about the different kinds of algal blooms and their effect on our environment and ourselves. There are still a lot of things that are not known about the algal bloom phenomenon, and many different hypotheses have been presented to explain these. Throughout the course of this paper those hypotheses will be presented and discussed, allowing the reader to derive their own opinion about the origin of algal blooms and what will happen in the future.
There are over a thousand ingredients that are used in cosmetics that are already proven to be safe for human use. These ingredients can be mixed and matched creating new and unique products. Many people argue that this is not suitable for the demanding market. The craving for "new" and "im...
Flavonoids are widely distributed in plants, fulfilling many functions. Flavonoids are the most important in plant pigments for flower coloration, producing yellow, red, or blue pigmentation in plants designed to attract pollinators. In higher plants, flavonoids are involved in UV filtration, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and floral pigmentation. They may also act as chemical messengers, physiological regulators, and cell cycle inhibitors. Flavonoids, which are polyphenolic compounds, are a class of plant secondary metabolites possessing a broad spectrum of pharmacological activity including anti-cancer activities. Among the various natural products, flavonoids have attracted much attention due to their remarkable spectrum of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimutagenic, antibacterial, antiangiogenic,anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, modulators of enzymatic activities and anti-cancer activity. Flavonoids have been found act as protein kinase inhibitors which can prevent alterations in phosphorylation that result in uncontrolled cell division, inhibition of apoptosis, and other abnormalities. Flavonoids can be known as angiogenesis agents. Angiogenesis is a physiological process resulting in formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. Antigiogenesis cause rapid growth of solid tumor and tumor metasta-sis are promoted by uncontrolled tumor angiogenesis. The flavonoids can control this growth of tumor. Besides that, flavonoids also can act as antioxidants which known as substances that delay, prevent or remove oxidative damage to a target molecule (Ravishankar et al., 2013).
Phytochemists have been able to identify a large number of different hydrolysable and condensed tannins. Examples of hydrolysable tannins include galloyl glucoses (GGs), also referred to as gallotannins (GTs), and ellagitannins (ETs) (Barbehenn and Constabel 2011). Hydrolyzable tannins exist within 15 orders of the dicotyledons; moreover, these tannins have a “more restricted occurrence” in plant species when compared to that of condensed tannins (Hattenschwiler and Vitousek 2000).
What if the world could find a way to dispose of sewage, produce food, and purify bodies of water at the same time? The Aztecs have proven that this idea is possible. Lake Texcoco flowed near the Aztec civilization. The Aztecs disposed of their waste in the lake. The human waste added nitrogen to the water. The nitrogen helped algae to grow, and then the algae performed photosynthesis. Photosynthesis gives off oxygen, and oxygen purifies polluted water. The Aztec's also abstracted the algae from the lake and used it for food. Certain types of algae like red and green algae are edible. Many cultures have eaten seaweed for centuries. Wendy O'Leary Dunn states, "They think of seaweed as a vegetable and eat it as we eat broccoli or spinach" (18). Therefore, when humans dispose of their waste in bodies of water, they help algae grow. Then, the algae cleans the water and they can eat the algae.
Seagrass is not just a food source for micro species, but also macro species such as manatees, turtles, dolphins and dugongs (Yamada and Kumagai 2012). These marine organisms are all supported directly and indirectly by seagrasses, with some entirely dependent on it. Seagrass is often underestimated in its significance as the vast role that it plays in the oceans ecosystem is not fully understood. ...
“In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky - by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind - and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there