Fucoidan
Food-grade brown algae such as mozuku, wakame, and konbu (tangle) contain a polysaccharide known as fucoidan. Fucoidan is one of the key components that contribute to the distinctive slippery texture of seaweed. The term "fucoidan" refers to a naturally occurring oxygenated polysaccharide composed primarily of fucose, uronic acid, and sulfate acid base.
Fucoidan manufactured by this method is a brown powder with a slight smell of seaweed.
Fucoidan is reported to have an array of biological functions, of which the main functions include
(1) anticoagulant action;
(2) cholesterol-lowering action;
(3) protective effect on the stomach lining; and
(4) anti-tumor action.
