Jeonnam Marine Bio Research Center Develops Seaweed-Based 'Synbiotics'

Achievements Including National Patent Applications and Publications in International Academic Journals

Jeonnam Marine Bio Research Center, which is developing products and conducting research activities using Cheonggak, a local specialty. Photo by Wando-gun

[Wando＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyungpil] The Marine Bio Research Center of the Jeonnam Bio Industry Promotion Agency, located in Wando-gun, Jeonnam, has produced product development and multifaceted research results using Codium fragile, a seaweed widely farmed in the region.

According to Wando-gun on the 10th, the center achieved results including product development based on Codium fragile, research on "Prebiotic and Anti-Obesity Effects of Codium fragile Extract," domestic patent applications, and publication in international academic journals.

Codium fragile is a seaweed uniquely produced in Jeonnam in Korea, rich in dietary fiber and beneficial minerals, and is a low-calorie food. It is mostly consumed as an ingredient in kimchi or as a side dish such as vinegared salad, so there was a need for diverse high value-added product development utilizing its food science excellence.

Accordingly, the center conducted research to utilize marine biological resources as various high value-added materials such as food, cosmetics, and functional foods.

Recently, Professor Yang Seunghwan of the Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering at Chonnam National University and the seaweed processing company "Badaranghaecho-rang" jointly filed a patent for research results on "Potential Prebiotic and Anti-Obesity Effects of Codium fragile Extract."

The results were subsequently published in the SCI-level international journal "Applied Sciences."

Through cell experiments, it was confirmed that Codium fragile has prebiotic effects by increasing beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and suppressing harmful bacteria, as well as inhibiting body fat increase. By materializing it as a processed food ingredient, a synbiotics product, whose consumption has recently increased, was developed and launched.

Along with this, the county is constructing a "Seaweed Bioactive Material Certification Production Facility" with a project budget of 25 billion KRW to establish a production system for marine bio raw materials by extracting functional substances from seaweed for health functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and functional cosmetics.

Jung Gyu-jin, director of the Marine Bio Research Center, pledged, "We will continue to verify the food science excellence of various seaweeds, which are representative farmed seafood of Jeollanam-do, and strive to utilize them as high value-added materials to support seaweed farming households."

Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyungpil ckp6737@asiae.co.kr

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