The anticoagulant activity and hypocholesterolemic effect of a hot water extract from the red alga ibaranori (hypnea charoides)

Abstract

Ibaranori (Hypnea charoides), a red alga, grows along the coast of the Japanese islands and is commonly eaten in southwestern areas such as Okinawa Prefecture. While H. charoides is thought to be a health-promoting food, the underlying mechanism of this benefit is not well understood. In this study, in order to examine the health benefits of H. charoides, a hot water extract was evaluated for its anticoagulant activity by using thromboelastography and measuring the hypocholesterolemic effect on hypercholesterolemic rats administered the hot water extract orally. The extract significantly exerted anticoagulant activity, as indicated by changes in thromboelastogram parameters and suppression of the increase in rat liver cholesterol ester and rat serum cholesterol. Based on these results, the health benefits of H. charoides as a useful food resource and the potential for effective use of the alga are suggested. © 2012 Food Sci. Technol. Res.