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The fatty acid compositions of 21 species of marine macroalgae, including 5 species of Chlorophyta (green algae), 13 of Rhodophyta (red algae), and 3 of Heterokontophyta (brown algae), were collected from northeastern Taiwan to survey their functional lipids. The lipid contents of green algae ranged from 15.36 to 20.15 mg/g, dry basis (db), and were characterized by a high content of C18:2 and C18:3, red algae (18.57-28.34 mg/g db) were high in C20:4 and C20:5, and brown algae (13.11-19.56 mg/g db) were high in C18:4, C20:4, and C:20:5. All algal lipids contained fatty acids of odd-number carbons, C17:0, and C17:1. Red algae had relatively higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and were richer in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) than green and brown algae. A red alga, Porphyra crispata , was extracted with ethanol and separated on a hydrophobic column (Diaion HP-20 column) to obtain sulfoglycolipids (sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols, SQDGs). The main fatty acids in SQDGs were palmitic acid (C16:0), 33.3%; EPA (C20:5), 30.0%; arachidonic acid (C20:4), 12.7%; oleic acid (C18:1), 7.52%; and stearic acid (C18:0), 6.83%. The n-3/n-6 ratio was 1.9, whereas the authentic standard, spinach SQDG, did not contain n-3 fatty acids. Sulfoglycolipids inhibited the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). The IC50 was 126 μg/mL, which is lower than that of the spinach SQDG (255 μg/mL).

We have collected data on the cancer deaths of children and adolescents 0-19 yr old living in a residential area near 3 large petroleum and petrochemical complexes in and near Kaohsiung city (petrochemical industrial districts, PIDs) in the period of 1971-1990 and compared these with the cancer deaths of children and adolescents 0-19 yr old among the entire population of Taiwan (national reference) and among the residents of 26 administrative districts, comprising all of Kaohsiung city and Kaohsiung county (local reference), except for 8 sparsely populated, rural districts. Having scrutinized all cancer death certificates, we have identified various statistically significant excess deaths, as compared with the national and local reference, due to cancers at all sites. Cancer of the bone, brain, and bladder in boys and girls 0-9 yr and 10-19 yr of age in the 1981-1990 decade that followed the establishment of petrochemical production in the PIDs was studied. However, excess cancer deaths seemed to have clustered in the 10-19 yr age group, who had been potentially exposed to the petrochemical pollutants for the longest period of time from the youngest age. Almost all bone, brain, and bladder cancer deaths registered were within 3 km of the 3 complexes. Bone and brain cancers in particular occurred in girls in the PIDs more frequently than in boys, even though these are believed to occur more in males than females elsewhere.

The purpose of this investigation was to study ethnic differences in mortality patterns due to accidents in the various aboriginal areas of Taiwan. Mortality data was collected from the National Health Department. To compare the accident mortality of aborigines with that of the general population of Taiwan, and then calculated standardized mortality ratios for accidents in the various aboriginal groups by using the cause specific accident mortality of the general population as standardized mortality and found that mortality in Taiwan between 1971 and 1990 was 60.1 per hundred thousand due all causes of injuries 72.2 (102.2 for males and 39.5 for females). The same figures for the aborigines were 194.9 (274.1 for males and 98.7 for females), respectively. The leading causes of accidental death among the aborigines were motor vehicle accidents, suicide, drowning, accidental falls for males and suicide, motor vehicle accidents and non-drug poisoning for females. Our investigations show that the standardized mortality ratio due to accidents in the aboriginal areas is two to three times higher than that in the general population of Taiwan. These figures were differences among the aboriginal tribes, despite similarities in medical care, environmental and economic circumstances. Mortality due to accidents, especially due to suicide and poisoning, in the Atayal and Bunun tribes were particularly higher than in other tribes. Thus, the risk of an accident in these regions may be associated not only with the environment and the lack of medical resources, but with some socio-cultural factors.