Hydrothermal Processing of Sea Lettuce

爱德华王子岛拥有强大的渔业和旅游业，通过水路连接。 这些水道被讨厌的藻类堵塞，如海莴苣（石莼），其生长受到氮径流的促进。海莴苣（石莼）含有丰富的营养素和化学物质，具有药用和促进健康的作用，这使它们成为食品补充剂，生物刺激剂和生物活性化合物。观察到的海莴苣的好处是由于石莼多糖的存在。石莼多糖是由硫酸化鼠李糖、糖醛酸和木糖组成的细胞壁多糖，占海莴苣生物量的9-36%干重。该项目的重点是开发和加强一个过程，通过该过程可以收获这种有害作物并将其转化为创新的增值产品，即生物基作物刺激剂。研究了一种水热法提取海莴苣中有价值化合物的工艺。该方法将被优化以获得更高的目标化合物收率。此外，还将开发一种创新的半连续系统来加工海莴苣。这一强化过程的双重好处将为旅游业和海洋生物创造一条清洁的水道，并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并将其出售给客户以及在自己的农场中使用来支持项目成果。 该系统可在全世界有海莴苣的地方使用，从而为专门知识的出口创造了更多的前景。研究结果将帮助合作伙伴组织做出投资决策，以便在加拿大大规模开发这项技术。

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.