A large brown kelp, which has a long undivided frond, without midrib and with a short stipe. The frond of Saccharina latissima has a distinctive frilly undulating margin. It lives for 2 to 4 years and grows quickly from winter to April.

Link for MarLIN

Just like most kelps, Saccharina latissima has blades (lamina), stipes and holdfasts which attach to substrates. The sporophytes of Saccharina latissima have a rich medium brown color, a long undivided frond without a midrib and a profusely branched holdfast. Mucilage ducts are absent from stipe; the blade often has two rows of bullations formed in two longitudinal rows parallel to the central axis. The frond of Saccharina latissima has a distinctive frilly undulating margin. The stipe of Saccharina latissima may be up to 50 cm long.

Carbohydrates stored as mannitol and laminarin are used to support the growth of new tissues. Sieve cells are common and usually penetrate the cell wall. Pyrenoids are used for storage and occur within the double membrane of the chloroplast.

Saccharina latissima contains various pigments including chlorophylls a and c (c1, c2, c3), beta carotene, fucoxanthin, and neofucoxanthin, as well as other cartenoids.

Link for Algae Handbook (Pereira, 2010).

Saccharina latissima is a diplohaplontic heteromorphic species exhibiting both microscopic and macroscopic stages. The sporophytes thrive in fall and release spores in spring. Spores are produced in a sorus that covers much of the surface of its blade. The microscopic gametophytes are dioecious. Female gametophytes produce lamoxirene to attract the sperm from male gametophytes to fertilize the eggs. Gametophytes have been recently confirmed as endophytes in filamentous red algae.

Zoospore and gamete production are also controlled by spectral quality, day length, and water temperature (Dring, 1988). Because Saccharina latissima is a cold water species, sporophytes cannot survive if the water is warmer than 15°C to 20°C. Furthermore, the gamtophytes fail to mature above 10°C to 15°C. In addition, higher temperature results in more male gametophyte formation.

Spore release is heavily inhibited by pollutants such as petroleum products.

Kelp harvesting is also an important industry around the world. Kelp product alginic acid, is used in different purposes. Alginic acid is a common polysaccharide constituent of kelp cell walls and it can be used to form gels. Alginic acid is used as a stabiliser in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries: yogurts, shampoos, cremes, lotions as well as ice creams. Alginic acid is also being used in many dietary products because human body can not abosorb it. In lots of biotechnological reserach experiments alginic acid is used to separate substances.

Food

People eat Sugar kelp (also called Kombu in Japanses dishes), which contains appreciable amount of vitamin C and is high in iodine, protein and calcium. The blade is usually chopped and cooked as a savory garnish (tororo konbu) for rice and other dishes, as a vegetable, and as snacks (such as tsukudani).

Kombu is also used to add flavor to broths (dashi stock) and stews but the kombu itself is removed from the liquid at the end of cooking and discarded. Kombu can be used to soften beans during cooking, and to help convert indigestible sugars.

Nutritional value

Saccharina latissima contains high amounts of mineral elements including sodium, magnesium, potassium, chlroine, sulfur and phosphorus; the micronutrients include iodine, zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum.

Brown algae generally has the highest iodine content with dry kelp ranging from 1500-8000 ppm (parts per million). They are also rich in vitamins including carotenes (provitamin A) and vitamin, with contents ranging from 500-3000 ppm. Vitamin B12, which is not found in most land plants, is also present. It also has high fiber content, The soluble fiber fraction ranges 67-87% in brown algae; soluble fibers are generally associated with having cholesterol-lowering and hypoglycemic effects.

Ethnobotany- Chinese medicine

Saccharina has been used in China for the treatment of cancer. Kelps may have polysaccharides that may reduce the possibility of breast cancer. “Laminaria tents” are dry Saccharina stipes used in obstetrics to dilate the cervix (Starin and Borden, 1984). According to Chinese medicine, seaweeds have a salty taste that can disperse phlegm accumulation, which includes goiter (the thyroid swelling that indicates severe iodine deficiency), Scrofula, tumor, edema, accumulation, testicular pain and swelling. (Oriental Materia Medica)

Loiseaux-de Goër, S. & Noailles, M.-C. (2008). Algues de Roscoff. pp. [1]-215, col. figs. Roscoff: Editions de la Station Biologique de Roscoff.

McDevit, D.C. & Saunders, G.W. (2010). A DNA barcode examination of the Laminariaceae (Phaeophyceae) in Canada reveals novel biogeographical and evolutionary insights. Phycologia 49(3): 235-248.

English: Sea Belt, Sugar Wrack, Sugar Kelp;

Portuguese: Rabeiro;

In Trade: Royal Kombu;

French: Laminaire sucrée;

Gaeilge: Rufaí, Ribíní, Rufa, Cupóg na gCloch, Lásaí Fruill, Réaban, Madraí, Madraí rua;

German: See-Palme;

Japanese: Karafuto Kombu, Karafuto Tororo Kombu, Kan-Hoa

Basionym: Ulva latissima Linnaeus