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Polyplant Marine
Polyplant Marine is a plant extract complex that contains some of the following algae: Fucus, Nori,
Enteromorpha, Wakame and Lithothamnium.
Fucus
BOTANY
Fucus vesiculosus L. Commonly known as fucus, this seaweed is a member of the Fucaceae family.
This familiar olive-brown seaweed has a thin, branched and coriaceous thallus. Fucus is a member of
the brown algae, Phaeophyceae, in which the green color of chlorophyll is masked by brown-colored
pigments. The thallus is 1-1.5 cm wide and up to 1m long; it bears woody fronds with thick midribs,
forked at the tips. Reproductive structures occur at the tips of the fronds.
Wild fucus is widely spread in the shallow waters of the north-eastern Atlantic rocky coasts, mainly in the
English Channel, Baltic Sea, North Sea and Britain as well as the eastern coasts of the United States.
This seaweed covers large surfaces of certain Atlantic regions known as the Sargasso Sea.
CHEMISTRY
Mucilage
Mainly alginic acid (alginate), which accounts for about 40% of the total weight; this substance can be
found as calcium, magnesium or sodium salts.
Fig.1. Structure of alginic acid.
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Soluble glucosan
Up to 60%; including laminarin and fucoidin (fucoidan). Soluble and insoluble forms of laminarin can be
found, both composed of D-glucose units with bonds in the 1-3 position. Fucoidin is a reserve
carbohydrate, composed of l-fucose units with 1-2 bonds and sulfur esters in C4.
Oligoelements and mineral salts
Mineral salts (13-23%) noticeably include inorganic iodine salts bond to proteins and lipids. This plant
also contains important proportions of sodium chloride and potassium chloride as well as smaller
proportions of chlorine, bromine, magnesium, calcium, iron and silicon.
Other active principles
Carotenoids (β-carotene, zeaxanthine, fucoxanthine, neofucoxanthine, violaxanthine and lutein), vitamin
C, vitamins of the type B1 and B12, phenols (floroglucinol and derivatives), acrylic acid, lipids (βsitosterol, fucosterol, δ-5-avenasterol), polyphenols, proteins, peptides, amino acids, volatile oil, etc.
TRADITIONAL USES
This plant has been used since the ancient times. Plinius named it Quercus marina and used to
prescribe it as an analgesic for painful joints. During the XVIII century it was often used to treat asthma.
Fucus is often used as a dietary supplement for obesity and endocrinopathy, to treat gastroesophageal
reflux, hiatal hernia, gastritis, to relief rheumatic pain and scrofuloderma, as an anticoagulant and diuretic
agent, included in anti-cellulite gels and mesotherapy creams and used and to heal wounds.
Nori
BOTANY
This alga is a member of genus Porphyra sp., commonly known as nori. The genus Porphyra, included
in Rodophyta (red algae), is composed of about 70 species, which live in the intertidal areas, most often
between the upper intertidal and the breakpoint.
Rodophyta is an extremely wide and diverse algae group including more than 5000 species, most of
them marine, with less than 4% freshwater species.
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CHEMISTRY
Polysaccharides
Red algae cell walls are composed of small amounts of cellulose (forming the internal layer) and large
proportions of sulfated galactose polymers and mucilage (forming the external layer). The main
polygalactans in the cell walls include agar, agarose and carrageenate, which are extracted and purified
to produce gelifying agents.
Reserve substances include several polysaccharides, particularly floridean starch, a carbohydrate with
intermediate properties between glycogen and starch.
Pigments
The typical color of red algae is due to water-soluble protein pigments located inside the chloroplasts.
These pigments (phycoerythrin and phycocyanin) mask other pigments: chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b
(scarce), β-carotene and xanthophylls.
Vitamins
These algae are a good source of vitamins A, B and C.
Minerals
Nori is a mineral-rich product (table 1).
Minerals
Calcium
Iron
Potassium
Magnesium
mg/100 gr alga
350-470
30-40
3200
80-90
Table 1. Mineral composition of nori.
TRADITIONAL USES
Nori is the Japanese name given to edible varieties of the red algae Porphyra sp. Nori also refers to
food-products produced from this seaweed. Usually, these plants are cut into strips and left to dry
through a process similar to that used for paper. Nori is generally used to wrap sushi and onigiri. Nori is
also consumed as pasta flavoured with a soy-sauce called Noritsukudani. Dry powdered nori is called
aonori, meaning green nori and is habitually used as a spice for dishes such as okonomiyaki and
yakisoba.
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Enteromorpha
BOTANY
Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Nees, is a member of Class Chlorophyceae, also known as green algae,
the largest algae group. In particular, this plant belongs to Order Ulvales, the most abundant algae in the
flora of marine areas under stress conditions (sudden changes in salinity, temperature, nutrients
concentration, etc.). E. compressa is 10-20 cm long, with a flat thallus consisting of elongated blades,
ramified from the base. This seaweed is abundant in the upper mesolittoral and infralittoral, especially
during winter and spring.
CHEMISTRY
Carbohydrates are the most abundant Enteromorpha components (48%), followed by proteins (10-18%)
and lipids (0.5-1.7%).
Carbohydrates
The carbohydrate proportion varies greatly according to the geographic area; average values range
between 29.09 and 39.81% (dry weight), the highest levels corresponding to summer.
Proteins
The protein content varies according to the geographic area and the season. Average values range
between 9.42 and 20.60% (dry weight).
Lipids
The lipid proportion is low and keeps constant 3.47-4.36% (dry weight) throughout the year.
Other active principles
Further relevant components are vitamin C (40-122 ppm) and minerals such as sodium (7.3-8.4%),
potassium (0.7%), magnesium (2.6-2.8%) and smaller amounts of manganese, iron, iodine and calcium.
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TRADITIONAL USES
At present, algae are world-wide considered a major source of essential nutrients and are being
increasingly used in the occidental diet. Enteromorpha is one of the edible seaweeds used for human
consumption. In eastern countries such as Japan, China and Korea, a number of seaweed species are
used as ingredients for culinary preparations e.g. Ao Nori is a green algae mixture composed of Ulva,
Enteromorpha and Monostroma.
Wakame
BOTANY
Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar, common name wakame; this brown alga is a member of Order
Laminariales, native to Japan, introduced into the Mediterranean, where it is widely spread. At present,
this seaweed is cultivated in the coasts of Britain for culinary use. This plant has the typical biological
characteristics of Laminariales; the sporophyte is a large light-brown to dark-brown blade, with the
margins of its expanded part markedly cleft and the base narrower, wavy and thick, bearing the
sporangia.
CHEMISTRY
Wakame extract is interesting to cosmetics because of its polysaccharide, protein, vitamin and mineral
content.
Polysaccharides
Remarkably, it contains alginate and fucan, a sulfated l-fucose polymer.
Amino acids
Wakame is an amino acid rich product; some of its major amino acids are: aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic
acid (Glu), serine (Ser), glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), proline (Pro), isoleucine (Ile) and leucine (Leu).
Vitamins and minerals
Wakame contains abundant proportions of vitamins of the B group (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12) and minerals
such as magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), iron (Fe), potasium (K) and calcium (Ca).
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Lithotamnium
BOTANY
Lithothamnium calcareum (Pallas) Arechoug. (=Phymatolithon calcareum (Pallas) Adey & McKibbin).
This red seaweed is a member of Class Florideophyceae, Order Cryptonemiales. This species is
perennial, slowly growing (2 mm per year), distributed in dendritic biotopes, exposed to currents, from
15-20 m to 50 m deep.
This plant can be found as free filaments or as ramified, highly calcified filaments, purple-blue, thickness
variable. Primary plasmodesms are typical of this seaweed. The external layers of the cell walls are
highly calcified, mainly due to calcium carbonate deposits, although also magnesium carbonate can be
found.
This seaweed can be mistaken by Lithothamnium corallioides Crouan., morphologically similar although
orange in color. Both species grow together and can be only discriminated on the basis of their
anatomical features.
CHEMISTRY
Polysaccharides
Its reserve substances basically consist of polysaccharides (D-glucose with α-1,4 and α-1,6 bonds)
stored in granules outside the chloroplasts. Phytosterols include: cholesterol, β-sitosterol and fucosterol.
Pigments
The typical color of red algae is due to water-soluble protein pigments located inside the chloroplasts.
These pigments (phycoerythrin and phycocyanin ) are prosthetic groups to biliproteins to which they are
strongly bond. These plants also contain carotenoids (α- and β-carotene, luteine, zeaxanthine).
Minerals
Lithothamnium contains a characteristically high proportion of mineral salts, especially calcium,
magnesium iron and manganese. Only traces of the remaining mineral components can be found.
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COSMETIC PROPERTIES
Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) regulatory activity
This activity is mainly due to the polysaccharides and mucilage content of Polyplant Marine.
Polysaccharides and mucilage are known as hygroscopic substances because they create a matrix able
to adsorb and retain large amounts of water.
These substances remain on the skin surface, coating it with a thin moisturizing filmogenic layer that
regulates transepidermal water loss, consequently improving skin biomechanical properties.
Therefore, Polyplant Marine is highly recommended to formulate cosmetic products with moisturizing,
emollient and calming properties.
Energizing activity
Normal and balanced skin functioning in rest situations is maintained through a homeostasis mechanism
defined as “a group of autoregulatory processes that tend to keep the composition and properties of the
intracellular and extracellular environments constant”. Water and ionic balance are major factors for such
homeostasis mechanism:
•
Water provides the medium for the metabolic processes to take place
•
Ion concentration and distribution in the different skin layers determine fluid movements between
the intracellular and the extracellular environments, membrane electrochemical potentials and
the beginning or termination of a number of cellular processes.
The above explained illustrates the relevance of keeping ion concentrations balance within rather narrow
limits, in order to attain good cellular functioning and consequently, skin homeostasis.
Stress, physical activity, etc. produce excessive ion loss through the skin, by mechanisms such as
sweating, thus resulting in skin homeostasis imbalance.
Algae have a potential of nutrients in a natural balance, which allows for absorption, thus restoring
nutrient deficiencies in different organs and tissues.
Incorporation of algae to the world of cosmetics helps restore the natural skin balance, due to their ion
based elements (chelate forms of oligoelements, vitamins and minerals). Algae absorb sea mineral salts,
calcium, phosphorus, iodine and vitamins. These elements provide a natural way to restore skin vitality
and to improve skin appearance.
Thus, Polyplant Marine is of great use to formulate cosmetic products with skin tonifying, revitalizing and
stimulating activities.
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COSMETIC APPLICATIONS
Action
Active
TEWL regulation
Polysaccharides
and mucilage
Energizing
Minerals
Vitamins
Cosmetic application
-Moisturizing
-Filmogenic
-Soothing
Tonifying
-Revitalizing
-Stimulant
RECOMMENDED DOSE
The recommended dose is between 0.5% and 5.0%.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alcalde MT. Glosario de novedades cosméticas. Sustancias y términos más comunes. OFFARM, 2007;
26 (7): 76-82.
Dawczynski D, Schubert R, Jahreis G. Amino acids, fatty acids, and dietary fibre in edible seaweed
products. Food Chemistry, 2007; 103 (3): 891-899.
Websites [accessed September 2007]
www.algaebase.org/
www.fitoterapia.net
www.seaweed.ie/algae/rhodophyta.lasso
www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=species&fid=2777
www.fao.org/fi/website/FIRetrieveAction.do?dom=species&fid=2790
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