Fatty acid composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphausia superba</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thysanoessa macrura</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphausia crystallorophias</Emphasis> collected from Prydz Bay,Antarctica

The information of trophic relationship is important for studying the Southern Ocean ecosystems. In this study, three dominant krill species, Euphausia superba, Thysanoessa macrura and Euphausia crystallorophias, were collected from Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during austral summer of 2009/2010. The composition of fatty acids in these species was studied. E. superba and T. macrura showed a similar fatty acid composition which was dominated by C14:0, C16:0, EPA (eicosapentenoic acid) and DHA (decosahexenoic acid) while E. crystallorophias showed higher contents of C18:1(n-9), C18:1(n-7), DHA and EPA than the former two. Higher fatty acid ratios of C18:1(n-9)/18:1(n-7), PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid)/SFA (saturated fatty acid), and 18PUFA/16PUFA indicated that E. crystallorophias should be classified as a typical omnivore with a higher trophic position compared with E. superba and T. macrura.     

Lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition in salt-dried yellow croaker (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudosciaena polyactis</Emphasis>) during processing

Lipid oxidation in salt-dried yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena polyactis) was evaluated during processing with commonly used analytical indices, such as the peroxide value (POV), the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, and oxidative-relative lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. Additionally, fatty acids were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both POV and TBARS increased significantly (P < 0.05) at the rinsing stage. POV reached its peak value of 3.63 meq O₂ per kg sample at the drying stage, whereas TBARS constantly increased from 0.05 to 0.20 mg MDA per kg sample. Processing of salt-dried yellow croaker had an extremely significant (P < 0.01) effect on LOX activity. Twenty-six fatty acids were identified. Combined eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6n3) content varied between (19.20 ± 0.37) mg g^?1 and (23.45 ± 1.05) mg g^?1. The polyunsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SFA) ratio in yellow croaker was 0.73–1.10, and the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was approximately 0.13–0.20. The contents of most fatty acids varied significantly (P < 0.05) during the different processing stages, and these differences were caused by lipid oxidation. C18:0, C16:1n7, C19:0, and C22:6n3 showed clear changes in principle component one of a principle components analysis. These fatty acids are potential markers for evaluating lipid oxidation in fish muscle because there was a significant correlation between these markers and TBARS and LOX activity (P < 0.05) with Pearson’s coefficients > 0.931.     

Biochemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Different Shell Color Strains of Pacific Oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea gigas</Emphasis>

The shell color of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is a desirable trait; but the nutritional studies on C. gigas with different shell colors have not been conducted. Through successive selective breeding, five shell color strains of black (B), purple (P), orange (O), golden (G) and white (W) C. gigas have been developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and nutritional value of five shell color strains and one commercial population with a common color. The biochemical composition including moisture, total protein, glycogen, ash, total fat, fatty acids (FA), amino acids and minerals was detected. The results indicated that the protein (50.76%–56.57%) was the major component. The content of glycogen showed a significant difference between orange shell and golden shell strains, as well as between commercial population and golden shell strain. In addition, all shell color strains contained a large amount of essential amino acids (12.20–14.15 g (100 g)^?1), of them leucine (2.81–3.29 g (100 g)^?1) and lysine (2.79–3.28 g (100 g)^?1) were predominant. The oysters were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (42.26%–45.24% of total fatty acid) with high levels of DHA (18.53%–21.16% of total fatty acid) and EPA (17.23%–18.68% of total fatty acid). Significant differences of mineral contents (Mg, Zn, Fe and Cu) were identified among the six populations. These results indicated that C. gigas with different shell colors presented rich nutritional value with high protein, glycogen, essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The biochemical composition obtained in this study is useful for selective breeding of C. gigas with different shell colors.     

Effects of temperature, salinity, light intensity, and pH on the eicosapentaenoic acid production of Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus

The effects of temperature, light intensity, salinity, and initial pH on the growth and fatty acid composition of Pinguiococcus pyrenoidosus 2078 were studied for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production potential. The fatty acid composition was assayed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which indicated that the main fatty acids were C14:0, C16:0 and EPA. The highest EPA percentage 20.83% of total fatty acids was obtained at 20℃ with the temperature being set at 20, 24, and 28℃. Under different salinities and light intensities, the highest percentages of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and EPA were 17.82% and 31.37% of total fatty acids, respectively, which were achieved at salinity 30 and 100μmol photon m-2s-1 illumination. The highest percentages of total PUFAs and EPA were 38.75% and 23.13% of total fatty acids, respectively, which were reached at an initial pH of 6 with the test range being from 5.0 to 9.0.     

Effect of growth phase on the fatty acid compositions of four species of marine diatoms

The fatty acid compositions of four species of marine diatoms (Chaetoceros gracilis MACC/B13, Cylindrotheca fusiformis MACC/B211, Phaeodactylum tricornutum MACC/B221 and Nitzschia closterium MACC/B222), cultivated at 22 ℃±1 ℃ with the salinity of 28 in f/2 medium and harvested in the exponential growth phase, the early stationary phase and the late stationary phase, were determined. The results showed that growth phase has significant effect on most fatty acid contents in the four species of marine diatoms. The proportions of 16:0 and 16: 1n-7 fatty acids increased while those of 16 :3n-4 and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) decreased with increasing culture age in all species studied. The subtotal of saturated fatty acids (SFA) increased with the increasing culture age in all species with the exception of B13. The subtotal of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) increased while that of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decreased with culture age in the four species of marine diatoms. MUFA reached their lowest value in the exponential growth phase, whereas PUFA reached their highest value in the same phase.     

EFFECT OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE TOTAL LIPID AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SIX STRAINS OF MARINE DIATOMS

The effect of light intensity ( 1500 Ix and 5000 Ix) on the total lipid and fatty acid composition of six strains of marine diatoms Cylindrotheca fusiformis (B211 ), Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bl14, Bl18 and B221) Nitzschia closterium (B222) and Chaetoceros gracilis (B13) was investigated.The total lipids of B13, Bl14, and B211 grown at 5000 Ix were lower than those grown at 1500 Ix. No evident changes were observed in Bl18, B221 and B222. Fatty acid composition changed considerably at different light intensity although no consistent correlation between the relative proportion of a single FA and light intensity. The major fatty acids of the 6 strains were 14:0, 16:0, 16:l(n- 7) and 20:5(n-3) . Cylindrothecafusiformis had high percentage of 20:4n - 6 (9.2 - 10.9% ) . The total polyunsaturated fatty acid /rl all 6 strains decreased with increasing light intensity. The percentage of the highly unsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) decreased with increasing light intensity in all strains except Chaetoceros gracilis.     

Effects of dietary carbohydrate-to-lipid ratio on the growth performance and feed utilization of juvenile turbot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scophthalmus maximus</Emphasis>)

A 9-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary carbohydrate to lipid ratio(CHO:LIP) on the growth performance and feed utilization of juvenile turbot Scophthalmus maximus(initial body weight 8.75 g ± 0.04 g). Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic low protein level(39%) diets were formulated with increasing ratios of dietary carbohydrate to lipid(2:18, 6:18, 18:12 and 28:6). A high protein level(50%) diet with the 2:12 ratio of carbohydrate to lipid was used as the control. Results showed that the survival rate, contents of moisture, crude protein and ash in muscle were not significantly affected by dietary treatments. With the dietary CHO:LIP ratio increased from 2:18 to 18:12, weight gain rate significantly increased(P < 0.05). Higher dietary CHO:LIP ratio(28:6) resulted in the significantly decreased weight gain rate(P < 0.05). Meanwhile, this treatment also resulted in the highest daily feed intake and liver glycogen content, as well as the lowest feed efficiency(P < 0.05). Muscle glycogen content in fish fed the diet with 2:12 or 2:18 CHO:LIP ratio was significantly lower than those fed with the other three diets(P < 0.05). The present results confirmed that the juvenile turbot can utilize carbohydrate. Furthermore, the appropriate ratio of dietary carbohydrate to lipid was important to the growth and feed utilization of turbot. The proper CHO:LIP ratio based on the growth performance in the present study was determined to be 18:12 when the dietary protein level was 39%.     

Changes of Protein and Lipid Contents,Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Compositions in Eggs and Yolk-Sac Larvae of American Shad(Alosa sapidissima)

To investigate the changes of the biochemical composition of American shad(Alosa sapidissima) eggs and larvae at embryonic and early larval stages, samples were collected at different development stages from artificial fertilization to the end of yolk absorption including 2 h, 12 h and 30 h after fertilization and newly hatched larvae including 1 and 3 days after hatching. The composition of lipid, fatty acids, protein and amino acids were analyzed. The content of total protein exhibited a decreasing trend during embryogenesis and larval development, and a significant reduction was detected after hatching(P 0.05). The total lipid content remained relative stable. A significant reduction was detected in almost all amino acids after hatching except for glycine(P 0.05), while a significant decrease was found in the content of cysteine, proline, tyrosine, valine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine during the yolk-sac phase(P 0.05). On the other hand, all the groups of fatty acids remained stable during the period of embryogenesis. But after hatching, a significant decrease was found in the content of C18:2n-6, C18:3n-6, SFA and ratio of EPA/ARA(P 0.05), while a significant increase was found in the content of C18:3n-3, C20:4n-6, C22:6n-3 and ratio of n-3/n-6(P 0.05). In conclusion, the combined data suggested that American shad utilizes the protein content as preferential energy substrates during embryonic and early larval developments with some specificity in the consumption of different amino acids.     

Low temperature stress on the hematological parameters and <Emphasis Type="Italic">HSP</Emphasis> gene expression in the turbot <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scophthalmus maximus</Emphasis>

To study the effect of low temperature stress on hematological parameters and HSP gene expression in the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), water temperature was lowered rapidly from 18 to 1°C. During the cooling process, three individuals were removed from culture tanks at 18, 13, 8, 5, 3, and 1°C. Blood samples and tissues were taken from each individual, hematological indices and HSP gene expression in tissues were measured. The red blood cell count, white blood cell count, and hemoglobin concentration decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as temperature decreased. Enzyme activities of plasma alanine transaminase and creatine kinase increased as temperature decreased, whereas aspartic transaminase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activities displayed no obvious changes above 1°C and lactate dehydrogenase activity increased first and then decreased. Blood urea nitrogen and uric acid levels were highest at 8°C, and creatinine concentration was highest at 3°C. The concentrations of plasma cortisol, cholesterol, and triglyceride all increased significantly (P < 0.05) as temperature decreased. The serum glucose concentration increased first and then decreased to the initial level. The HSP70 mRNA expression showed various patterns in different tissues, whereas HSP90 mRNA expression showed the same tendency in all tissues. Overall, these results indicate that temperature decreases in the range of 8 to 5°C may induce a stress response in S. maximus and that temperature should be kept above 8°C in the aquaculture setting to avoid damage to the fish.     

维生素E醋酸酯对鱼油脂肪酸含量变化的影响

新鲜鱼油中添加05、0、2505、00 mg/kg 4种不同浓度的维生素E醋酸酯,在实验的第6、14、28、36和68天测定鱼油中的脂肪酸含量。结果表明:在500 mg/kg添加量内,维生素E醋酸酯对鱼油中脂肪酸含量没有显著性影响(P>0.05)。在实验期间,EPA(C20:5)、DHA(C22:6)、亚油酸(C18:2)含量明显下降,ARA(C20:4)、亚麻酸(C18:3)先升后降,棕榈酸(C16:1)逐步上升;C14含量逐渐增加,C17则先降后升,C16和C18在实验后期有较大提高。维生素E醋酸酯对鱼油中不饱和脂肪酸效用系数大小依次为:ARA>EPA>DHA>C18:3>0>C16:1>C18:2>C18:1,对ARA抗氧化效用最大,效用系数达到10.193%,C20:5为0.490%,C22:6为0.364%;维生素E醋酸酯对饱和脂肪酸效用系数大小依次为:C14>C17>0>C18>C16。     

Fatty Acid Composition of Euphausia superba,Thysanoessa macrura and Euphausia crystallorophias Collected from Prydz Bay,Antarctica

The information of trophic relationship is important for studying the Southern Ocean ecosystems.In this study,three dominant krill species,Euphausia superba,Thysanoessa macrura and Euphausia crystallorophias,were collected from Prydz Bay,Antarctica,during austral summer of 2009/2010.The composition of fatty acids in these species was studied.E.superba and T.macrura showed a similar fatty acid composition which was dominated by C14:0,C16:0,EPA(eicosapentenoic acid) and DHA(decosahexenoic acid) while E.crystallorophias showed higher contents of C18:1(n-9),C18:1(n-7),DHA and EPA than the former two.Higher fatty acid ratios of C18:1(n-9)/18:1(n-7),PUFA(polyunsaturated fatty acid)/SFA(saturated fatty acid),and 18PUFA/16 PUFA indicated that E.crystallorophias should be classified as a typical omnivore with a higher trophic position compared with E.superba and T.macrura.     

Development of fatty acid biomarkers for the identification of wild and aquacultured sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)

In this study,the fatty acids(FAs) of the organs and tissues of sea cucumber(Apostichopus japonicus) were profiled in order to compare the FA composition of sea cucumber collected from natural habitat(wild) and cages(cultured).The differences in FA contents in dermomuscular tube,peripharyngeal annulus,gonad and intestine(with or without content) between the wild and the cultured were determined.The main fatty acids in all organs and tissues were 20:5n-3,16:1n-7,20:4n-6,22:6n-3,18:0,and 18:1n-7.The basically different FAs of body wall and digestive tube were 16:1n-7,18:1n-9 and 20:1n-11.The ratio of saturated to mono-and polyunsaturated FAs in digestive tube was independent on inside content while there was a redistribution of the total amount of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids.The comparison of FA composition of the wild and the cultured sea cucumber showed that 20:5n-3,16:1n-7 and 18:1n-7 predominated the wild while 20:4n-6 predominated the cultured.The content of branched-chain fatty acids in the wild was 3%–4% and about 9% in the cultured.The possible FAs for identifying the wild and the cultured sea cucumbers were selected.It was suggested that the indexes such as the ratio of either(n-3:n-6) to(n-7:n-6) or(n-3) +(n-7) to(n-6) may serve as the biomarkers distinguishing the wild and the cultured sea cucumber.     

Fatty acid composition analyses of the DCMU resistant mutants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nannochloropsis oculata</Emphasis> (eustigmatophyceae)

Ultraviolet mutagenesis was applied to Nannochloropsis oculata and three mutants resistant to 3-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) were isolated. The cellular chlorophyll a and total lipid content of the wild are higher in the medium supplemented with DCMU than in the control without DCMU. Without DCMU, the growth rates and chlorophyll a contents of the mutants are similar to those of the wild. Significant changes of fatty acid content and composition have occurred in DCMU-resistant mutants growing in the medium supplemented with DCMU. The total lipid, palmitic acid (16:0), palmitoleic acid (16:1ω9) and oleic (18:1ω9) contents decrease significantly, while the vaccenic acid (18:1ω11) increases significantly and the EPA content of dried powder increases slightly in the mutants. The study may provide a basis to improve EPA content in Nannochloropsis oculata in the future.     

Antialgal and antilarval activities of bioactive compounds extracted from the marine dinoflagellate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amphidinium carterae</Emphasis>

With the global ban on the application of organotin-based marine coatings by the International Maritime Organization, the development of environmentally friendly, low-toxic and nontoxic antifouling compounds for marine industries has become an urgent need. Marine microorganisms have been considered as a potential source of natural antifoulants. In this study, the antifouling potential of marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, the toxic and red-tide microalgae, was investigated. We performed a series of operations to extract the bioactive substances from Amphidinium carterae and tested their antialgal and antilarval activities. The crude extract of Amphidinium carterae showed significant antialgal activity and the EC₅₀ value against Skeletonema costatum was 55.4 μg mL^?1. After purification, the isolated bioactive substances (the organic extract C) exhibited much higher antialgal and antilarval activities with EC₅₀ of 12.9 μg mL^?1 against Skeletonema costatum and LC₅₀ of 15.1 μg mL^?1 against Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae. Subsequently, IR, Q-TOFMS, and GC-MS were utilized for the structural elucidation of the bioactive compounds, and a series of unsaturated and saturated 16- to 22-carbon fatty acids were detected. The data suggested the bioactive compounds isolated from Amphidinium carterae exhibited a significant inhibiting effect against the diatom Skeletonema costatum and Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae, and could be substitutes for persistent, toxic antifouling compounds.     

Starvation on changes in growth and fatty acid composition of juvenile red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii

The effect of starvation on physiological and biochemical indicators of body, muscle and hepatopancreas were investigated for juvenile red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii), and the results showed the effect was obvious. In a 70-day starvation experiment, mean body weight, exuvial rate, ab- dominal muscle ratio and hepatosomatic index decreased significantly. The percentage of protein, fat, ash and moisture were also significantly affected. The protein content decreased sharply at Day 30 onward and the percentage of fat decreased rapidly from Day 50 and on. The percentages of ash and moisture started to increase significantly at Day 40 and 30 respectively. After the starvation experiment, the hepa- topancreatic total and neutral lipid content decreased slightly from 23.90% to 20.39% and 73.75% to 70.35%, while the hepatopancreatic polar lipid content increased from 23.81% to 27.32%. On the other hand, all the muscular total, neutral and polar lipid contents, and the muscular fatty acid compositions did not change significantly except for the hepatopancreatic fatty acid composition. The relative percentages of 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7 and 18:1n-9 were decreased by 55.17%, 11.11%, 8.5% and 6.70% from the initial values, and the relative percentages of 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 increased obvi- ously from 5.2%, 3.9%, 2.4%, 10.6%, and 13.7% to 7.1%, 5.0%, 2.8%, 11.5%, and 14.4% respectively. Preference of utilization of fatty acids from hepatopancreas during starvation was as follows: 14:0>16:0>16:1n-7>18:1n-9, and the conservation of highly unsaturated fatty acids was in the order of: 18:2n-6 >18:3n-3>20:4n-6>20:5n-3>22:6n-3.     

Performance of Weibull function as a diameter distribution model for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus thunbergii</Emphasis> stands in the eastern coast of South Korea

This study was carried out to determine the performance of percentile-based Weibull diameter distribution model for Pinus thunbergii stands thriving along the eastern coast of South Korea. The parameter recovery technique was used to estimate the three parameters of the Weibull model. The analysis demonstrated satisfactory results based on the following test statistics for the principal percentile models: fit index (FI) range from 0.501 (minimum diameter) to 0.932 (50th diameter percentiles) and root mean square error (RMSE) range from 0.112 (quadratic mean diameter) to 3.572 (minimum diameter). The developed model was further evaluated by determining the mean bias (ē) in trees per ha (TPH) for each diameter class, and the results showed highest over-prediction in the 20 cm, and under-prediction in the 16 cm and 24 cm diameter classes. The goodness of fit tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test showed no significant differences (p>0.05) between the observed and predicted diameter distributions for almost all plots. Using site index and aboveground biomass (AGB) models developed for P. thunbergii in South Korea, a model to predict the AGB per ha for each diameter class and subsequently the total AGB of the stand was created. An application guide was also created, which will serve as a decision-support tool for forest managers in quantifying the future total AGB in P. thunbergii stands located in the eastern coast of South Korea and, subsequently, the quantification of potential carbon stocks aside from being a vital input in designing efficient management and protection strategies for these stands.     

Production of γ-linolenic acid and stearidonic acid by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synechococcus</Emphasis> sp. PCC7002 containing cyanobacterial fatty acid desaturase genes

Genetic modification is useful for improving the nutritional qualities of cyanobacteria. To increase the total unsaturated fatty acid content, along with the ratio of ω-3/ω-6 fatty acids, genetic engineering can be used to modify fatty acid metabolism. Synechococcus sp. PCC7002, a fast-growing cyanobacterium, does not contain a Δ6 desaturase gene and is therefore unable to synthesize γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (SDA), which are important in human health. In this work, we constructed recombinant vectors Syd6D, Syd15D and Syd6Dd15D to express the Δ15 desaturase and Δ6 desaturase genes from Synechocystis PCC6803 in Synechococcus sp. PCC7002, with the aim of expressing polyunsaturated fatty acids. Overexpression of the Δ15 desaturase gene in Synechococcus resulted in 5.4 times greater accumulation of α-linolenic acid compared with the wild-type while Δ6 desaturase gene expression produced both GLA and SDA. Co-expression of the two genes resulted in low-level accumulation of GLA but much larger amounts of SDA, accounting for as much to 11.64% of the total fatty acid content.     

Cloning,expression and characterization of a lipase gene from marine bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudoalteromonas lipolytica</Emphasis> SCSIO 04301

A lipase gene, lip1233, isolated from Pseudoalteromonas lipolytica SCSIO 04301, was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The enzyme comprised 810 amino acid residues with a deduced molecular weight of 80 kDa. Lip1233 was grouped into the lipase family X because it contained a highly conserved motif GHSLG. The recombinant enzyme was purified with Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The optimal temperature and pH value of Lip1233 were 45°C and 8.0, respectively. It retained more than 70% of original activity after being incubated in pH ranging from 6.0 to 9.5 for 30 min. It was stable when the temperature was below 45°C, but was unstable when the temperature was above 55°C. Most metal ions tested had no significant effect on the activity of Lip1233. Lip1233 remained more than original activity in some organic solvents at the concentration of 30% (v/v). It retained more than 30% activity after incubated in pure organic solvents for 12 h, while in hexane the activity was nearly 100%. Additionally, Lip1233 exhibited typical halotolerant characteristic as it was active under 4M NaCl. Lip1233 powder could catalyze efficiently the synthesis of fructose esters in hexane at 40°C. These characteristics demonstrated that Lip1233 is applicable to elaborate food processing and organic synthesis.     

Exploration of Antifouling Potential of the Brown Algae <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laminaria</Emphasis> ‘Sanhai’

Seaweeds are one of the largest producers of biomass in the marine environment. It has been well known that marine algae, especially brown algae was a rich source of biogenic compounds with antifouling potential that could be ideal alternatives of tributyltin (TBT). In this paper, antifouling potential of the brown algae Laminaria ‘sanhai’ was explored. Firstly, the dried alga was extracted and the antialgal and antilarval activities were investigated. The EC₅₀ and LC₅₀ values of crude extract of Laminaria ‘sanhai’ against diatom (Skeletonema costatum) and barnacle larval (Chthamalus challengeri) were 8.9 μg mL^?1 and 12.0 μg mL^?1 respectively. Then, guided by bioassay, the bioactive substances were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction. The antialgal and antilarval activities of isolated fraction were improved with the EC₅₀ value of 7.4 μg mL^?1 against S. costatum and LC₅₀ value of 9.7 μg mL^?1 against C. challengeri larvae. Identification by IR, Q-TOFMS and GC-MS of the isolated bioactive substances revealed the abundance of fatty acids. These fatty acids, most with 16, 18 or 20 carbon atoms, contained myristic, hexadecanoic, oleic, linolenic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The results indicated that both the crude extract and the isolated bioactive substances had high antialgal and antilarval activities with no highlighted cytotoxicity which made the brown algae Laminaria ‘sanhai’ a promising source of the environmentally friendly antifoulants.     

Characterization and identification of enzyme-producing microflora isolated from the gut of sea cucumber <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apostichopus japonicus</Emphasis>

Gut microorganisms play an important role in the digestion of their host animals. The purpose of this research was to isolate and assess the enzyme-producing microbes from the Apostichopus japonicus gut. Thirty-nine strains that can produce at least one of the three digestive enzymes (protease, amylase, and cellulase) were qualitatively screened based on their extracellular enzyme-producing abilities. The enzyme-producing strains clustered into eight groups at the genetic similarity level of 100% by analyzing the restriction patterns of 16S rDNA amplified with Mbo I. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 37 strains belonged to the genus Bacillus and two were members of the genus Virgibacillus. Enzyme-producing capability results indicate that the main enzyme-producing microflora in the A. japonicus gut was Bacillus, which can produce protease, amylase, and cellulase. Virgibacillus, however, can only produce protease. The high enzyme-producing capability of the isolates suggests that the gut microbiota play an important role in the sea cucumber digestive process.