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Introduction: Wound healing depends on angiogenesis and collagen production by fibroblasts. Seaweeds are among the organisms that are of interest today for healing wounds. This study examines the effect of seaweed called Gracilaria corticata to increase angiogenesis and fibrosis of infectious skin wounds. Methods: Eighty male rats that participated in this experiment were maintained according to the Laboratory Guidelines for Animal Care. The animals were divided into four groups (20 rats in each group), and a square wound on the back skin was performed on all rats. The time points were 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after the surgical procedure. After creating a wound, an aliquot of 50 µL of suspension containing 2x108 CFU/mL of Staphylococcus bacteria was inoculated onto each wound. The groups were divided into control (no treatment), zinc oxide (control), 3%, and 7% ointment (algae treatment). The samples were placed in 10% buffered formalin and then in the tissue processing and staining with trichrome. Trichrome staining is used to show collagen fibers and the degree of fibrosis. On the other hand, VEGF and TGF-Β antibodies were used for immunohistochemical evaluation. Results: The use of algae increased the occurrence of VEGF and TGF-Β more than the administration of zinc oxide. Conclusion: The use of algae has a strengthening effect, especially in the form of ointment, on the healing of infected wounds. It can be related to more blood supply and, as a result, more immunity in the wound, along with antimicrobial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marine algae have become very important in various fields of food, medicine, and cosmetics, due to their unique functional and nutraceutical properties, as well as their amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and trace element contents. This study was aimed to identify the chemical compositions and to determine some physicochemical and nutraceutical properties of the brown algae Sargasom boveanum from the Bushehr coasts. Materials and Methods: The total protein content, amino acid, and fatty acid profiles, as well as chemical compositions, were respectively, determined by Kjeldahl, HPLC-UV, GC-FID, and GC-MS methods. Results: The total protein content was 12.5%. Among the 17 identified amino acids, the highest amount was related to lysine, followed by glycine and aspartic acid. The essential, semi-essential, and non-essential amino acid levels were 48.1, 24.6, and 27.5%, respectively. Among the 18 identified fatty acids, the palmitic acid, caproic acid, and myristic acid had respectively, the highest values. The results of mass spectrometry showed the presence of 25 compositions from different groups of phenolic, quinoline, isoquinoline, indole, pyrazole, oxadiazole, and pyrrole in the algael extract. Conclusion: Due to the richness in essential and semi-essential amino acids, beneficial fatty acids, and unique secondary metabolites of the Persian Gulf Sargassum algae, it can be considered as a potential functional food and a perfect nutraceutical package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporosis is a prevalent bone disease caused by an imbalance between bone formation and resorption. Nutritional factors are involved in the prevention of osteoporosis. Several treatments exist for osteoporosis including bisphosphonates, parathyroid hormone, estrogen therapy, and hormone therapy, which have their own side effects. In the quest for an appropriate treatment for osteoporosis, researchers are now turning toward the nature-based medications such as marine algae (seaweed). The aim of the present review is to investigate the effects of algae on osteoporosis. Materials and Methods: We examined articles indexed in PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases. It should be noted that human studies on the beneficial effects of seaweed on osteoporosis are rare. Results: Seaweeds have several health benefits including their effect on bone metabolism. Active ingredients of algae have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties in addition to other features that heal various diseases. Research has shown that algae improve bone metabolism because they are a rich source of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, other bone-supporting elements, amino acids and growth factors. Conclusion: The extracted compounds from algae are biocompatible, and do not have the side effects of synthetic medications; therefore, they can be used for osteoporosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marine algae are shown to contain a wide range of bioactive compounds, which have commercial application in pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, nutraceutical, food and agricultural industries. The biological activity of the natural bio-active compounds in algae has wide effects on bacteria, tumors and antioxidant activities. The purpose of this study was to determine antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the marine algae. Materials and Methods: The ethanol extracts of three species of green, brown and red algae were done by soaking method from northern coast of the Persian Gulf in Busheher province. Antibacterial activity of L. monocytogenes and E. Coli were performed using disk diffusion and well method, and also antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts of added three species accomplished using DPPH, FRAP and PMB tests. Results: The highest antioxidant activity was belonged to brown algae C. trinodis. Meanwhile Algae extraction was not revealed antibacterial activity against E. coli, but showed antibacterial activity against L. monocytogenes. Conclusion: In this study algae species was exhibited excellent antioxidant activity when compared with their antibacterial effects. The highest anti-oxidant activitie was found in brown algae C. trinodis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]