Phlorotannins are a group of complex polymers of phloroglucinol (1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene), which are unique compounds from marine brown algae. In our present study, a procedure for extraction and enrichment of phlorotannins from S. fusiforme with highly antioxidant potentials was established. After comparison of different extraction methods, the optimal extraction conditions were established as follows. The freeze-dried seaweed powder was extracted with 30% ethanol-water solvent with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:5 at temperature of 25 °C for 30 min. After extraction, the phlorotannins were fractioned by different solvents, among which the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited both the highest total phlorotannin content (88.48 ± 0.30 mg PGE/100 mg extract) and the highest antioxidant activities. The extracts obtained from these locations were further purified and characterized using a modified UHPLC-QQQ-MS method. Compounds with 42 different molecular weights were detected and tentatively identified, among which the fuhalol-type phlorotannins were the dominant compounds, followed by phlorethols and fucophlorethols with diverse degree of polymerization. Eckol-type phlorotannins including some newly discovered carmalol derivatives were detected in Sargassum species for the first time. Our study not only described the complex phlorotannins composition in S. fusiforme, but also highlighted the challenges involved in structural elucidation of these compounds.

Globally, China has the largest scale of kelp cultivation and production operations. However, its kelp aquaculture industry is suffering from declining germplasm diversity, degradation of agronomic traits, the presence of polluted environments, changing ocean conditions and increasing anthropological interference. This review covers two of the most commercially important kelp species in China, viz. Saccharina japonica and Undaria pinnatifida. It summarizes the history of their cultivation, production, economic and ecological benefits, their breeding programmes (e.g. inter‐ and intra‐specific hybridization and marker‐assisted selection) and efforts towards population genetic diversity and conservation. The article focuses on three significant challenges, for example genetic cross‐contamination between the wild and farmed kelp populations, ocean warming and ocean acidification. Accordingly, we outline the steps required to provide several intervention measures, for example (i) collection and preservation of wild and cultivated kelp germplasm; (ii) selection of suitable cultivation sites under changing environmental conditions; (iii) developing stress‐resistant cultivars; and finally, (iv) adoption of innovative cultivation models. The review concludes with genome‐based, designs for molecular breeding and calls for the establishment of an East Asian Kelp Consortium (EAKC). Collectively, the Chinese kelp industry could provide beneficial goods and services, for example bioenergy to fine chemicals and environmental benefits, such as carbon capture, pH amelioration and provision of habitat for many other marine species of commercial value. The strategies proposed in this article thus have the potential to not only improve but also reinvigorate the kelp industry in China and nearby Japan and Korea, in the context of both environmental health and economic benefits.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Currently, approximately 20-40% of individuals with diabetes are diagnosed with DN. Mesangial cells (MCs) are critical for maintaining and regulating glomerular filtration, and the abnormal proliferation of MCs causes the accumulation of mesangial extracellular matrix (ECM), further promoting glomerular dysfunction and renal diseases. Low molecular weight fucoidan (LMWF) extracted from Saccharina japonica could alleviate DN, but the mechanism was not analysed. Based on the ability of LMWF to ameliorate the human renal mesangial cell (HRMC) injury caused by advanced glycation end products (AGEs), we identified fibronectin (FN) as the most obviously impacted protein in the ECM-receptor interaction by proteomic analysis. The co-localization of LMWF and FN indicated direct interaction between them, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis confirmed the specific binding with a KD of 453.7 μmol L-1. Positively charged protamine sulfate (PS) promoted the combination of LMWF and HRMCs and further enhanced the effect of LMWF on HRMC injury. Our results indicated that LMWF alleviates the HRMC injury caused by AGEs via binding FN and inhibiting the ECM-receptor interaction pathway. These results provide a foundation for the in-depth analysis of the mechanism of polysaccharide functions.