Saccharina japonica

Saccharina japonica
Scientific classification
(unranked): SAR
Phylum: Heterokontophyta
Class: Phaeophyceae
Order: Laminariales
Family: Laminariaceae
Genus: Saccharina
Species: S. japonica
Binomial name
Saccharina japonica
(J.E. Areschoug) C.E. Lane, C. Mayes, Druehl & G.W. Saunders
Synonyms

Laminaria japonica J.E. Areschoug
Laminaria ochotensis Miyabe

Saccharina japonica (Dashi kombu) is a marine species of Phaeophyceae (brown algae), a type of kelp or seaweed, that is extensively cultivated in China, Japan and Korea.

A commercially important species, Saccharina japonica is known as kombu (in China haidai, in Korea dasima), an important food from Japan. Large harvests are produced by rope cultivation, a simple method of growing seaweeds by attaching them to floating ropes in the ocean.[1][2]

The species is native to Japan, but has been cultivated in China, Japan, Russia, France, and Korea.[3] It is one of the two most consumed species of kelp in China and Japan.[1] The harvest is also used for the production of alginates, with China producing up to ten thousand tonnes of the product each year.[4]

Consuming excessive amounts of Saccharina japonica has been shown to suppress thyroid function.[5]

The species was transferred to Saccharina in 2006.[6] Three synonyms for this species name are Laminaria japonica J.E. Areschoug 1851, its variety Laminaria japonica var. ochotensis (Miyabe) Okamura 1936, and Laminaria ochotensis Miyabe 1902.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 M. D. Guiry. "Kelps: Laminaria and Saccharina". www.seaweed.ie.
  2. ↑ Laminaria seafarming in China FAO
  3. 1 2 Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. (2008). "'Saccharina japonica'". AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway.
  4. ↑ M. D. Guiry. "Alginates". www.seaweed.ie.
  5. ↑ Miyai, Kiyoshi; Tokushige, Tomoyasu; Kondo, Masahiko (2008-12-01). "Suppression of thyroid function during ingestion of seaweed "Kombu" (Laminaria japonoca) in normal Japanese adults". Endocrine Journal 55 (6): 1103–1108. doi:10.1507/endocrj.k08e-125. ISSN 1348-4540. PMID 18689954.
  6. ↑ Lane, C.E., Mayes, C., Druehl, L.D. & Saunders, G.W. (2006). A multi-gene molecular investigation of the kelp (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) supports substantial taxonomic re-organization. Journal of Phycology 42: 493-512.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, December 18, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.