MACOI - Portuguese Seaweeds Website

Class:

Phaeophyceae

Genus:

Undaria Suringar

Species:

Undaria pinnatifida

Authority:

(Harvey) Suringar

Description:

Undaria pinnatifida or wakame is a large brown kelp with a branched holdfast giving rise to a stipe. Just above the holdfast, the stipe has very wavy edges, giving it a corrugated appearance. The stipe gives rise to a blade that is broad, flattened and lanceolate. It has a distinct midrib. The margins of the blade are wavy. Plants can reach an overall length of one to three metres. Undaria pinnatifida is an annual species with two separate life stages.

Undaria pinnatifida is a large brown seaweed belonging to the order Laminariales, with 3 clearly recognizable parts comprising its visible thallus: blade, stipe, and holdfast. The thallus can reach 1 to 3 meters in length. The blade is lanceolate and broad with a prominent midrib, and translucent with color ranging from green to yellowish-brown to dark brown. The blade could also be described as triangular and lobed. The appearance of the blade evolves and changes over time; it is initially simple, flattened, and broad with a pronounced or distinct midrib; older plants have thicker blade tissue which splits horizontally down to the midrib to form fingers or straps, becoming more transversally lobed, and becomes pinnate with age. The margins of the blade can also be described as wavy. The distal portion of the blade and the straps eventually become tattered. The stipe of Undaria pinnatifida is wavy or corrugated above the holdfast. The stipe is also usually short (10 to 30 centimeters in length, and up to 1 centimeter in diameter) and in mature plants bears convoluted wing-like reproductive outgrowths or frills (sporophylls). The stipe is also flattened, and transitions into the midrib which extends through the middle of the length of the blade. Undaria pinnatifida attaches to its substrate by a branched holdfast comprised of haptera. It may be confused with Alaria esculenta, as it also has a prominent midrib, but the corrugated stipe of Undaria pinnatifida (which contains its sporophylls) is distinctive. Also, Alaria esculenta grows in more exposed and wave-battered locations than Undaria pinnatifida.

Undaria pinnatifida can be found in the upper part of the infralittoral (subtidal) zone, from low tide level down to depths of 10 to 18 meters. If the water is clear and less turbid, it can grow at deeper depths. In its native habitat, Undaria pinnatifida occurs in dense stands, forming a thick canopy on a wide range of shores. It prefers areas with less exposure, such as in ports. It can attach itself to substrates which are natural (bedrock, boulders) and artificial (such as pilings, port structures, marina pontoons, buoys, or anchor chains). Undaria pinnatifida is able to tolerate a range of organic pollution, salinity levels, and temperatures. It can grow well in esturarine conditions as well. Undaria pinnatifida spreads in two ways: naturally, through the millions of microscopic spores released by each fertile organism, and also through attachment to vessel hulls and marine farming equipment. It is a highly successful and fertile species, which enable it to expand it range quickly.

Link for Seaweed Industry Association

Name History

Adjective (Latin), pinnately cleft (Stearn 1973).

Biogeography

Geographical origin:

Sea of Japan. The species is native to the north-western Pacific coast –

Japan, Korea, south-eastern Russia and eastern parts of China.

Undaria pinnatifida was introduced accidentally to the Mediterranean

coast of France in 1971, probably with oysters imported from Japan.

Attempts were then made to cultivate this alga, first in French

Mediterranean waters, and subsequently on the coast of Brittany and

further south along the Atlantic coast of France. In 1987, in one of the

areas where the species was farmed, naturally recruited plants were

found outside the cultivation sites. The species was recorded in 1988

in French Atlantic waters close to the border with Spain, and in 1990 it

was reported from northern Spain (Ria de Arosa), where it was

probably associated with oyster farming. It has not yet been reported

from the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Since 1992 the species has

been found around the shores of Italy (including in the canals of

Venice and in the Mar Piccolo in southern Italy). Its occurrence in

Italian waters is believed to be attributable either to shellfish farms or

to shipping. The species was first reported in Britain in 1994,

presumably brought there by ships from France. Since 1999 it has also

been present in Belgian and Dutch waters, so far probably its

northernmost sites on the mainland coast of Europe.

U. pinnatifida occurs widely around the world and can now be found,

for example, in the United States (California), Mexico, Argentina,

Australia and New Zealand.

Uses and compounds

Species of considerable economic importance as food source in Japan, Korea and China (trade name: Wakame). Total annual yield from natural harvest and cultivation sites of Undaria spp. was about 130,000 tons fresh weight in 1967 (Saito 1975). Long-line culture started in the early 1960's and meanwhile production increased to about 30% of the wild harvest in Japan (Sanbonsuga 1984). For cultivation methods and propagation of Undaria see Saito (1975) and Jung (1988). Some progress has been made in tissue culture, protoplast isolation and cryopreservation (Arbault et al. 1990, Chen 1984, Shabao 1988, Tokuda & Kawashima 1988). More information at Surialink.

Direct use as food - food, consumed whole. Contains: ash; calcium; carbohydrates; iron; lipids; magnesium; niacin (vitamin B3); nitrogen; phosphorus; potassium; protein; selenium; sulphur; water.

Health, cosmetics, thalasotherapy, wellness & folk medicine - appetite stimulant.

Provide biological, medical and pharmacological activity - nicotine poisoning, cure for.

Unspecified as usable source of chemicals/compounds - Contains: alanine; alloisoleucine; arginine; aspartate/aspartic acid; chondrine; cysteic acid; D-Cysteinolic acid; glutamate/glutamic acid; glycine; histidine; isoleucine; leucine; lysine; methionine; phenylalanine; proline; serine; threonine; tryptophan; tyrosine; valine.

Other uses: Undaria pinnatifida has a high nutritional value, containing high levels of calcium, iodine, thiamine, niacin, iron, vitamin B12, and protein. It is also a rich source of eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and also of polysaccharides. A compound in Undaria pinnatifida known as fucoxanthin can help burn fatty tissue, even around internal organs. In Oriental medicine, Undaria pinnatifida has been used for blood purification, intestinal strength, skin, hair, reproductive organs and menstrual regularity.

Undaria pinnatifida is economically important as a food crop, next to nori, on the Japanese menu, and is eaten both dried and fresh. In East Asian countries the seaweed is known as wakame and is treated as a delicacy, often added to miso soup. Undaria pinnatifida can be considered a a sea vegetable, or edible seaweed. "Wakame" fronds are green and have a subtly sweet flavour and slippery texture. In Asia and Europe, wakame is distributed either dried or salted, and used in soups (particularly miso soup), and salads (such as tofu salad), or often as a side dish to tofu and a salad vegetable like cucumber. Goma wakame, also known as seaweed salad, is a popular side dish at some sushi restaurants; literally translated, it means "sesame seaweed". In Korea, Undaria pinnatifida is used in salads or soup such miyeokguk. Many women consume Undaria pinnatifida during pregnancy, and "miyeokguk" is popularly consumed by women after giving birth as miyeok contains a high content of calcium and iodine, nutrients that are important for nursing new mothers. It is also traditionally eaten on birthdays for this reason, a reminder of the first food that the mother has eaten and passed on to her newborn through her milk, thus bringing good fortune for the rest of the year. After the species was accidentally introduced in 1971 in the Mediterranean via farming of Japanese oysters (Crassostrea gigas), Undaria pinnatifida was grown in the French Bretagne as food, which increased exposure of this seaweed to Europeans. Undaria pinnatifida is also used in a wide variety of topical beauty treatments and personal care products, due to its high polysaccharide content and ability to provide moisture.

Undaria pinnatifida is an ingredient in dozens of products from countries which include France, Italy, UK, Spain, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Health and personal care products including Undaria pinnatifida as an ingredient include:

Shampoo, hair treatments, and bath treatments
hand and foot care products
soaps, body polishes and oils
skin cleanser and toner products, detoxifying facial products
day creams and night creams
tooth cleaning products

There are many forms of edible Undaria pinnatifida, or wakame, including:

dried, chips, flakes, and strips
as an ingredient in sea vegetable salads, in condiments and chutneys
with soup and salad and pasta and oatmeal mixes
capsule form as a diet supplement
beer

Undaria pinnatifida is also included in some fertilizers and agricultural treatments.

Harvesting: Sea farmers have grown Undaria pinnatifida for hundreds of years in Korea and Japan, and in more recent years there has been expansive growth in China, where production is concentrated around Dalian. Since 1983 Undaria pinnatifida has also been cultivated in France, in sea fields established near the shores of Brittany, where it is harvested in March and April. Wild grown Undaria pinnatifida is known to be harvested in Tasmania, Australia and in New Zealand for commercial products.

Harvesting Techniques: When farmed, Undaria pinnatifida is usually harvested from boats by means of long hooks and then sold fresh or sun dried. In some cases, since this seaweed is salted for transport, certain cleansing must take place before eating; is must be thoroughly rinsed under running water, then placed in boiling water for a short time, then rinsed in ice water. The leaves of Undaria pinnatifida are then spread out and the hard midrib removed.

References

Adams, N.M. (1997). Common seaweeds of New Zealand. pp. [1]-48, 48 pls. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.

Gittenberger, A., Rensing, M., Stegenga, H. & Hoeksema, B. (2010). Native and non-native species of hard substrata in the Dutch Wadden Sea. Nederlandse faunistische Mededelingen No. 33: 21-75.

Lane, C.E., Mayes, C., Druehl, L.D. & Saunders, G.W. (2006). A multi-gene molecular investigation of the kelp (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) supports substantial taxonomic re-organization. Journal of Phycology 42: 493-512.

Pedroche, P.F., Silva, P.C., Aguilar Rosas, L.E., Dreckmann, K.M. & Aguilar Rosas, R. (2008). Catálogo de las algas benthónicas del Pacífico de México II. Phaeophycota. pp. [i-viii], i-vi, 15-146. Mexicali & Berkeley: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and University of California Berkeley.

Sliwa, C., Johnson, C.R. & Hewitt, C.L. (2006). Mesoscale dispersal of the introduced kelp Undaria pinnatifida attached to unstable substrata. Botanica Marina 49: 396-405.

Yoshida, T. (1998). Marine algae of Japan. pp. [1-2], 1-25, 1-1222. Tokyo: Uchida Rokakuho Publishing Co., Ltd..

Habitat:

Wakame is economically important as a food crop but is also a fouling organism. It is able to compete with native kelp species in the shallow sublittoral/infralittoral zone.

Common names:

In Trade: Wakame; Quandai-cai

Wakame (the Japanese name). Japanese kelp. Asian kelp. Apronribbon vegetable.

Chinese: Ito-wakame. Kizami-wakami. Qundai-cai.

Japanese: Wakame. Ito-wakame. Kzami-wakami. Nambu wakame.

Korean: Ito-wakame. Kizami-wakami. Miyok.

Other names: abeto marino, apron-ribbon vegetable, Asian kelp, fougère de mer, fougère des mers, haijiecai, harmonica wier, Japanese kelp, Japonaise wakame, Japanse kelp, kada-me, kuki wakame, miyeok, miyeuk, miyok, 미역, Naruto wakame, niki-me, Ouessane, quandaicai, qun dai cai, qúndài cài, 裙带菜, sea mustard, wakame, Wakame, wakamé, ワカメ

Type information:

Type species: This is the type species (holotype) of the genus Undaria.

Basionym: Alaria pinnatifida Harvey

Type locality: Simoda, Japan (Lee & Yoon 1998: 429). Type: TCD (Lee & Yoon 1998: 429).