New seaweeds offer commercial opportunities
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Chiang Mai University researchers have discovered five new euglenoid seaweeds, which contain vitamin B12 and antioxidants. Researchers say the seaweeds could be developed into medicines, cosmetics and food supplements.
The findings originated from a doctoral thesis by faculty of science lecturer Dr Kritsana Duangjan, together with his thesis adviser, Professor Dr Konrad Wolowski from the Polish Academy of Science’s Institute of Botany.
Krissana said newly discovered euglenoid seaweed species were found in 31 locations of poor-quality water (or wastewater) sites in the upper North. The five new seaweeds were Strombomonas starmachii Duangjan and Wolowski, Strombomonas chiangmaiensis Duangjan, Trachelomonas peerapornpisalii Duangjan and Wolowski, Trachelomonas thailandicus Duangjan and Wolowski and Trachelomonas reticulato-spinifera Duangjan.
Euglenoid seaweed is generally found in wastewater and indicates water quality at different levels.
