Hydrothermal Processing of Sea Lettuce

爱德华王子岛（PEI）拥有强大的渔业和旅游业，通过水路相连。这些水道正被诸如海莴苣（Ulva lactuca）等令人讨厌的藻类堵塞，它们的生长是由氮径流促进的。海莴苣（Ulva lactuca）富含营养和化学物质，具有药用和促进健康的作用，这使它们成为有价值的食品补充剂，生物刺激素和生物活性化合物。观察到的海莴苣的好处是由于Ulvan的存在。Ulvan是一种由硫酸鼠李糖、糖醛酸和木糖制成的细胞壁多糖，占海莴苣干重的9-36%。这个项目的重点是开发和加强一个过程，通过这个过程，这种讨厌的作物可以收获并转化为一种创新的增值产品，一种生物基作物兴奋剂。研究了水热法从海莴苣中提取有价化合物的工艺。对该工艺进行优化，以提高目标化合物的收率。此外，将开发一种创新的半连续系统来加工海莴苣。这种强化处理的双重好处将为旅游业和海洋生物创造一条清洁的水道，反过来，产生一种非化学作物生长刺激剂。合作伙伴将通过将提取物商业化、出售给客户和在自己的农场内使用来支持项目成果。该系统可以在世界上有海莴苣的地方使用，从而为出口技术创造了额外的前景。研究结果将有助于合作伙伴组织为在加拿大大规模开发该技术做出投资决策。

Prince Edward Island (PEI) has strong fishing and tourism sectors that are connected through waterways. These waterways are being choked by nuisance algae such as sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca), whose growth is promoted by nitrogen runoff. Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) is rich in nutrients and chemicals with medicinal and health-promoting effects, which make them valuable for food supplements, biostimulants, and bioactive compounds. The observed benefits of sea lettuce are due to the presence of Ulvan. Ulvan is a cell wall polysaccharide made of sulfated rhamnose, uronic acid and xylose contributing 9-36% dry weight of biomass of sea lettuce. The focus of this project is to develop and enhance a process through which this nuisance crop can be harvested and converted into an innovative value-add product, a bio-based crop stimulant. A hydrothermal based process is investigated for the extraction of valuable compounds from the sea lettuce. The process will be optimized for higher yield of targeted compounds. Additionally, an innovative semi-continuous system will be developed for processing sea lettuce. The two-fold benefit of this enhanced process will create a clean waterway for tourism and marine life and in turn, produce a non-chemical crop growth stimulant. The partner will support the project results by commercializing the extract and both selling it to its clients and using it within its own farm. The system can be utilized around the world where sea lettuce exists, thereby creating additional prospects for exporting know-how. The results of the research will help the partner organization make investment decisions for the large-scale development of this technology in Canada.