The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds
Marine macroalgae (seaweeds), are amongst the first multicellular organisms and, as such, the precursors to land plants. By the time ‘land’ animals arrived on the scene, terrestrial plants were plentiful and varied, and herbivorous diets developed in concert with the food sources most commonly avail...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/8/574 |
| _version_ | 1797560745037135872 |
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| author | Melania L. Cornish Michéal Mac Monagail Alan T. Critchley |
| author_facet | Melania L. Cornish Michéal Mac Monagail Alan T. Critchley |
| author_sort | Melania L. Cornish |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Marine macroalgae (seaweeds), are amongst the first multicellular organisms and, as such, the precursors to land plants. By the time ‘land’ animals arrived on the scene, terrestrial plants were plentiful and varied, and herbivorous diets developed in concert with the food sources most commonly available. However, skip forward several hundred millennia, and with the advent of agriculture, approximately 10,000 years ago, dietary diversity began to change. Today, the world is experiencing increasingly higher rates of debilitating, non-communicable diseases—might there be a connection? This paper reviews scientific evidence for the judicious use of various seaweeds in the reduction of heat stress, enhanced immunity, improved growth performance, and methane reduction in animals. The extensive, (super) prebiotic effects of selected macroalgae will also be highlighted. Key studies conducted across the animal kingdom provide considerable support that there is an overwhelming need for the guided and wise applications of increased usage of selected seaweeds in feed, food and supplements. Particular attention will be paid to the bioactive components, and nutraceutical qualities, of various seaweeds, i.e., the brown, <i>Saccharina</i> (<i>Laminaria</i>) spp. and <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, and the red alga <i>Chondrus crispus</i>. Suggestions are put forward for benefits to be derived from their further applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:04:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d8813a9003f49f78610f20876b041fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:04:50Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d8813a9003f49f78610f20876b041fe2023-11-20T08:31:18ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122020-07-018857410.3390/jmse8080574The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and SeaweedsMelania L. Cornish0Michéal Mac Monagail1Alan T. Critchley2Acadian Seaplants Limited, Cornwallis Park, NS B0S1A0, CanadaArramara Teoranta, Oyster Bay, Kilkieran, Co., H91 HD86 Galway, IrelandVerschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment, Cape Breton University, Sydney, NS B1P 6L2, CanadaMarine macroalgae (seaweeds), are amongst the first multicellular organisms and, as such, the precursors to land plants. By the time ‘land’ animals arrived on the scene, terrestrial plants were plentiful and varied, and herbivorous diets developed in concert with the food sources most commonly available. However, skip forward several hundred millennia, and with the advent of agriculture, approximately 10,000 years ago, dietary diversity began to change. Today, the world is experiencing increasingly higher rates of debilitating, non-communicable diseases—might there be a connection? This paper reviews scientific evidence for the judicious use of various seaweeds in the reduction of heat stress, enhanced immunity, improved growth performance, and methane reduction in animals. The extensive, (super) prebiotic effects of selected macroalgae will also be highlighted. Key studies conducted across the animal kingdom provide considerable support that there is an overwhelming need for the guided and wise applications of increased usage of selected seaweeds in feed, food and supplements. Particular attention will be paid to the bioactive components, and nutraceutical qualities, of various seaweeds, i.e., the brown, <i>Saccharina</i> (<i>Laminaria</i>) spp. and <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i>, and the red alga <i>Chondrus crispus</i>. Suggestions are put forward for benefits to be derived from their further applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/8/574macroalgae (seaweeds)feedfood<i>Homo sapiens</i>agriculturehealth |
| spellingShingle | Melania L. Cornish Michéal Mac Monagail Alan T. Critchley The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds Journal of Marine Science and Engineering macroalgae (seaweeds) feed food <i>Homo sapiens</i> agriculture health |
| title | The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds |
| title_full | The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds |
| title_fullStr | The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds |
| title_short | The Animal Kingdom, Agriculture⋯ and Seaweeds |
| title_sort | animal kingdom agriculture⋯ and seaweeds |
| topic | macroalgae (seaweeds) feed food <i>Homo sapiens</i> agriculture health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/8/574 |
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