''Padina sanctae-crucis'' is a species of brown macroalgae in the family

Dictyotaceae Dictyotaceae is large family (biology), family of brown algae (class Phaeophyceae). Members of this family generally prefer warmer waters than other brown algae. ''Lobophora variegata'' (= ''Pocockiella varieagata'') often presents a beautiful b ...

. It is a tropical brown algae species native to the south pacific that belongs to the Padina genus. this alga includes sexual reproduction and spore-producing

asexual reproduction Asexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes or change in the number of chromosomes. The offspring that arise by asexual reproduction from either unicellular or multicellular organisms inherit the fu ...

which is moved with the tide until spores plants itself on a hard rocky substrate. Other habitats include rocks and shell fragments in the shallow sublittoral,

seagrass meadow A seagrass meadow or seagrass bed is an underwater ecosystem formed by seagrasses. Seagrasses are marine (saltwater) plants found in shallow coastal waters and in the brackish waters of estuaries. Seagrasses are flowering plants with stems and ...

s, mangrove roots and coral reefs on tidal flats.

Description

Padina sanctae-crucis forms curled, fanlike branches from a single stalk. The plant is about 15 cm tall. Blades are often irregularly split and branched. The upper surfaces of the fans are calcified and whitened, but the rest of the plant is brownish. All the branches are crossed by closely set growth lines.

Locations

Locations Padina sanctae-crucis prefers tropical waters and can be found in most of the world's tropical waters. Including Florida, the Caribbean sea, Brazil, and the south pacific. This alga tends to thrive in Rock pools in intertidal to subtidal zones on rocky substrates, especially on reef flats up to 10m in depth.

Uses

Since Padina sanctae-crucis is used in food, it is known to be rich in fatty acids, which are an excellent source of nutrients for mammals. There are also extracts of this seaweed that have been found to have anticarcinogenic and

cytotoxic Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa''). Cell physiology Treating cells ...

activity. For example, an organic extract shows toxicity to the oral epidermoid carcinoma cell line KB with a

minimal infective dose The concept of minimal infective dose (MID) has traditionally been used for infection, infectious bacteria that contaminate foods. MID was defined as the number of bacteria ingested (the dose) from which a pathology is observed in the consumer. Ex ...

of 6.5 μg/ml. Padina sanctae-crucis was also concluded to be an excellent absorbent for removing MV dyes from aqueous solutions.

References

Dictyotaceae Protists described in 1914 Brown algae species {{phaeophyceae-stub