Utilization of a marine brown alga, Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh, as a sustainable biomass resource

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The amount of soluble dietary fiber apparently corresponds to the maturity level and viscous exudates from the tissues of Sargassum horneri (S. horneri). The best season to harvest the alga for human consumption is in early spring, when it has fully grown and matured. Aged S. horneri is also rich in dietary fiber. The present study showed that S. horneri could be utilized as a sustainable plant food resource.Rats fed S. horneri showed significantly higher fecal output, as well as changes in the intestinal flora. Thus, the consumption of S. horneri might have positively influenced on the intestinal environment of the rats. Rats fed cholesterol-enriched diets showed an increase in the concentration of serum total cholesterol (T-CHO). Aged S. horneri imparted cholesterol-lowering effects on hypercholesterolemic rats.