<i>Hizikia fusiformis</i>: Pharmacological and Nutritional Properties

The brown seaweed <i>Hizikia fusiformis</i> (syn. <i>Sargassum fusiforme</i>), commonly known as “Hijiki”, has been utilized in traditional cuisine and medicine in East Asian countries for several centuries. <i>H. fusiformis</i> has attracted much attention owing...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maria Dyah Nur Meinita, Dicky Harwanto, Jae-Hak Sohn, Jin-Soo Kim, Jae-Suk Choi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/7/1660
Description
Summary:The brown seaweed <i>Hizikia fusiformis</i> (syn. <i>Sargassum fusiforme</i>), commonly known as “Hijiki”, has been utilized in traditional cuisine and medicine in East Asian countries for several centuries. <i>H. fusiformis</i> has attracted much attention owing to its rich nutritional and pharmacological properties. However, there has been no comprehensive review of the nutritional and pharmacological properties of <i>H. fusiformis</i>. The aim of this systematic review was to provide detailed information from the published literature on the nutritional and pharmacological properties of <i>H. fusiformis</i>. A comprehensive online search of the literature was conducted by accessing databases, such as PubMed, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, for published studies on the nutritional and pharmacological properties of <i>H. fusiformis</i> between 2010 and 2021. A total of 916 articles were screened from all the databases using the <i>preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses</i> method. Screening based on the setdown criteria resulted in 59 articles, which were used for this review. In this review, we found that there has been an increase in the number of publications on the pharmacological and nutritional properties of <i>H. fusiformis</i> over the last 10 years. In the last 10 years, studies have focused on the proximate, mineral, polysaccharide, and bioactive compound composition, and pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, photoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, osteoprotective, and gastroprotective properties of <i>H. fusiformis</i> extracts. Overall, further studies and strategies are required to develop <i>H. fusiformis</i> as a promising resource for the nutrition and pharmacological industries.
ISSN:2304-8158