, sea oak is a species of

kelp Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms. Kelp grows in "underwat ...

, of the

brown algae Brown algae (singular: alga), comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Brown algae are the major seaweeds of the temperate and po ...

, best known for its use in

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...

Description

''Eisenia bicyclis'' is indigenous to temperate Pacific Ocean waters centered near

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, although it is deliberately cultured elsewhere, including

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Arame
, Food to Good Health, 2010 retrieved 8 February 2013 It grows and reproduces seasonally. Two flattened oval fronds rise from a stiff woody stipe which can be up to about tall. The fronds are shed and new ones formed annually. The plant appears both branched and feathered. It may be harvested by divers manually or mechanically, and the dried form is available year-round.

Cuisine

It is one of many species of

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

used in Asian cuisine. Usually purchased in a dried state, it is reconstituted quickly, taking about five minutes. Arame comes in dark brown strands, has a mild, semi-sweet flavor, and a firm texture. It is added to appetizers, casseroles, muffins, pilafs, soups, toasted dishes, and many other types of food. Its mild flavor makes it adaptable to many uses.Arame Seaweed
Diet Foods & Nutrition, retrieved 8 February 2013

Chemistry

Arame is high in

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

, and

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably bet ...

as well as being a dietary source of many other minerals. It also is harvested for

alginate Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. With metals such as sodium and calcium, its salts are known as alginates. Its colou ...

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

and iodide. It contains the storage polysaccharide

laminarin The molecule laminarin (also known as laminaran) is a storage glucan (a polysaccharide of glucose) found in brown algae. It is used as a carbohydrate food reserve in the same way that chrysolaminarin is used by phytoplankton, especially in diatom ...

and the

tripeptide A tripeptide is a peptide derived from three amino acids joined by two or sometimes three peptide bonds. As for proteins, the function of peptides is determined by the constituent amino acids and their sequence. The simplest tripeptide is glycine ...

eisenin, a

peptide Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A ...

with

immunological Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...

activity.

Lignan The lignans are a large group of low molecular weight polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains, and vegetables. The name derives from the Latin word for "wood". Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. They may play a role ...

content in arame is noted by several sources. It also contains the

phlorotannin Phlorotannins are a type of tannins found in brown algae such as kelps and rockweeds or sargassacean species, and in a lower amount also in some red algae. Contrary to hydrolysable or condensed tannins, these compounds are oligomers of phlorogl ...

phlorofucofuroeckol A Phlorofucofuroeckol A is a phlorotannin isolated from brown algae species such as ''Eisenia bicyclis'' (an edible seaweed called ''arame'' in Japan), ''Ecklonia cava'', ''Ecklonia kurome'' or ''Ecklonia stolonifera''. The molecule possesses both t ...

dioxinodehydroeckol Eckstolonol is a phlorotannin found in the edible brown algae arame , sea oak is a species of kelp, of the brown algae, best known for its use in Japanese cuisine. Description ''Eisenia bicyclis'' is indigenous to temperate Pacific Ocean wat ...

, fucofuroeckol A,

eckol Eckol is a phlorotannin isolated from brown algae in the family Lessoniaceae such as species in the genus ''Ecklonia'' such as '' E. cava'' or '' E. kurome'' or in the genus '' Eisenia'' such as ''Eisenia bicyclis''. The molecule possesses a dib ...

dieckol Dieckol is a phlorotannin that can be found in arame (''Eisenia bicyclis''), in ''Ecklonia cava'' or in '' Ecklonia stolonifera''. This compound shows antithrombotic and profibrinolytic activities. It has also an effect on hair growth. See also ...

, triphloroethol A and

7-phloroethol 7-Phloroeckol is a phlorotannin found in the edible brown algae arame (''Ecklonia bicyclis'') and turuarame (''Ecklonia stolonifera ''Ecklonia stolonifera'' (Japanese: ツルアラメ, turuarame) is a brown alga species in the genus ''Ecklonia'' ...

. Extracts of this algae have been tested to combat

MRSA Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of Gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...

staph infections.

References

External links

AlgaeBase Profile
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2013. AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland, Galway, retrieved 8 February 2013. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2703932 Lessoniaceae Edible seaweeds