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Ulva lactuca
Ulva lactuca
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Ulva lactuca

  • Vitamin C
  • Magnesium
  • Protein
  • Iron
  • Iodine
  • Ulvan

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Introduction: Ulva lactuca

What is Ulva lactuca?

Ulva lactuca is a macroalga that belongs to the green algae. It is also known under the common names "sea lettuce" and "sea lettuce", because its shape reminds of iceberg lettuce.

What is the classification of Ulva lactuca?

Like other macroalgae, Ulva lactuca belongs to the eukaryotes as a multicellular organism. The genus Ulva counts more than 400 different species, to which also U. lactuca belongs. Ulva lactuca thus belongs to the class of Ulvophyceae, all of which are green algae.

What are the characteristics of Ulva lactuca?

The shape of Ulva lactuca is particularly striking. The flat, slightly curled thallus of the macroalga is reminiscent of leaf lettuce, which is where the common name comes from. The intense green color also contributes to this.

Where is Ulva lactuca found?

Ulva lactuca is found worldwide, except for Antarctica. However, because the genus Ulva has so many species, confusion within the genus can easily occur. Ulva lactuca grows primarily in shallow tidal waters, where it receives more sunlight than in deeper waters, giving it a distinct advantage in photosynthesis.

How is Ulva lactuca grown?

Ulva lactuca can be grown naturally on rocky substrates. More commonly, cultivation uses a technique in which ropes are placed in the sea, along which Ulva lactuca adheres and grows. The ropes are then retrieved at the end of the growing season and at the beginning of harvesting.

What is the importance of Ulva lactuca to the ecosystem?

Ulva lactuca grows very quickly at high nutrient concentrations and therefore has potential applications for bioremediation. For example, Ulva lactuca can be cultivated in high nutrient wastewater as part of an ecological aquaculture.

What are the different benefits and application purposes of Ulva lactuca?

The two main uses of Ulva lactuca are as a food and as an active ingredient in cosmetic products. In both cases, the nutrient profile, as well as the wide availability of Ulva lactuca macroalgae, is the reason it is so often used.

However, Ulva lactuca is not limited to these two industrial uses, but is also actively used as animal feed and fertilizer[4, 5]. Experiments are also underway to see if Ulva lactuca could be a potential source of bioenergy.

Is Ulva lactuca edible?

Ulva lactuca is edible and has been used as food for a long time, mainly in coastal regions. On the one hand, Ulva lactuca can be eaten raw as a salad and found in dishes, or on the other hand, it can be further processed in dried form as an ingredient.

What pigments are contained in Ulva lactuca?

The majority of pigments in Ulva lactuca is chlorophyll-a followed by chlorophyll-b. In addition, there are different carotenoids, which vary in concentration from location to location.

Which polysaccharides are contained in Ulva lactuca?

Ulva lactuca contains polysaccharides called "ulvans". These are heterogeneous sulfated compounds consisting of residues of glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, uronic acids, arabinose and xylose.

What are the advantages of Ulva lactuca for cosmetic use?

Ulva lactuca has a remineralizing effect due to its nutrient profile and protects the skin from environmental free radicals when applied. In addition, Ulva lactuca can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin[10, 11].

Typical applications: Ulva lactuca

typical applications for Ulva lactuca Liquid

Typical applications

Ulva lactuca, also known as "sea lettuce", is a green algae that can be found almost all over the world on sea coasts.

The sea lettuce is, as the name suggests, often eaten and offered as a sea salad. But it also finds a place in pasta or seasoning mixtures.

Not only for us humans is the sea lettuce healthy, but also as an additive for animal feed, as it offers a variety of micro and macro nutrients[4, 5].

Because of its many trace elements and minerals Ulva lactuca is an excellent fertilizer.

Ulva lactuca is a rich source of ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide known for its diverse bioactive properties. Ulvan has been studied for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticoagulant activities, making it a valuable compound in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agricultural industries. Research suggests that ulvan can support immune modulation, wound healing, and gut health, while also being explored for biodegradable packaging and plant biostimulants[8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14].

The liquid is usually used in the production of cosmetics and aquaristics.

This product is available in the following forms of liquid extracts: glycerin extract and water-glycerin extract.

The product is also available as powder.

Typical applications in the cosmetics industry:

Ulva lactuca is rich in sodium, potassium, aluminum, nickel, iodine, magnesium, manganese and is now an ingredient in many cosmetic and dermatological products.
It also contains calcium, phosphorus, soluble nitrogen, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C and numerous other trace elements.

Ulva lactuca has not only antibacterial and fungicidal, but also proven anti-inflammatory effects[11, 12, 13, 14].

 

 

Sources:

  1. Ulva lactuca - G.M. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 19 August 2024. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. (https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=39)
  2. Ulva lactuca - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulva_lactuca)
  3. Dominguez H, Loret EP. Ulva lactuca, A Source of Troubles and Potential Riches. Mar Drugs. 2019 Jun 14;17(6):357. doi: 10.3390/md17060357. PMID: 31207947; PMCID: PMC6627311. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31207947/)
  4. Sırakaya S. Pros and cons of Ulva lactuca and Cladophora glomerata grown in freshwater as feed. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Mar;30(12):33446-33454. doi: 10.1007/s11356-022-24532-1. Epub 2022 Dec 8. PMID: 36480141. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36480141/)
  5. Bikker P, van Krimpen MM, van Wikselaar P, Houweling-Tan B, Scaccia N, van Hal JW, Huijgen WJ, Cone JW, López-Contreras AM. Biorefinery of the green seaweed Ulva lactuca to produce animal feed, chemicals and biofuels. J Appl Phycol. 2016;28(6):3511-3525. doi: 10.1007/s10811-016-0842-3. Epub 2016 Apr 23. PMID: 28035175; PMCID: PMC5155021. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28035175/)
  6. Adrien A, Dufour D, Baudouin S, Maugard T, Bridiau N. Evaluation of the anticoagulant potential of polysaccharide-rich fractions extracted from macroalgae. Nat Prod Res. 2017 Sep;31(18):2126-2136. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2017.1278595. Epub 2017 Feb 1. PMID: 28147712. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28147712/)
  7. Hela Yaich, Haikel Garna, Souhail Besbes, Michel Paquot, Christophe Blecker, Hamadi Attia, Chemical composition and functional properties of Ulva lactuca seaweed collected in Tunisia, Food Chemistry, Volume 128, Issue 4, 2011, Pages 895-901, ISSN 0308-8146, (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814611005152)
  8. Cindana Mo’o, F. R., Wilar, G., Devkota, H. P., & Wathoni, N. (2020). Ulvan, a Polysaccharide from Macroalga Ulva sp.: A Review of Chemistry, Biological Activities and Potential for Food and Biomedical Applications. Applied Sciences, 10(16), 5488. (https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165488)
  9. Barakat, K.M., Ismail, M.M., Abou El Hassayeb, H.E. et al. Chemical characterization and biological activities of ulvan extracted from Ulva fasciata (Chlorophyta). Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 33, 829–841 (2022). (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-022-01103-7)
  10. Malvis Romero, A., Picado Morales, J. J., Klose, L., & Liese, A. (2023). Enzyme-Assisted Extraction of Ulvan from the Green Macroalgae Ulva fenestrata. Molecules, 28(19), 6781. (https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28196781)
  11. Wang CH, Huang ZT, Tai KF. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of Ulva lactuca for wound healing. PLoS One. 2025 Jan 8;20(1):e0311037. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311037. PMID: 39775568; PMCID: PMC11709284. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39775568/)
  12. Margret RJ, Kumaresan S, Ravikumar S. A preliminary study on the anti-inflammatory activity of methanol extract of Ulva lactuca in rat. J Environ Biol. 2009 Sep;30(5 Suppl):899-902. PMID: 20143726. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20143726/)
  13. Deveau AM, Miller-Hope Z, Lloyd E, Williams BS, Bolduc C, Meader JM, Weiss F, Burkholder KM. Antimicrobial activity of extracts from macroalgae Ulva lactuca against clinically important Staphylococci is impacted by lunar phase of macroalgae harvest. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2016 May;62(5):363-71. doi: 10.1111/lam.12563. PMID: 26958825. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26958825/)
  14. SR, SIVAKUMAR & Ramasamy, Krishnamoorthi. (2019). ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF SEAWEED ULVA LACTUCA L. EXTRACTED CRUDE PROTEIN AGAINST PATHOGENIC FUNGI. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research. 12. 393-396. 10.22159/ajpcr.2019.v12i3.30750. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331644767)
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