Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
Sargassum seaweed, once thought of as only a problem, especially in Caribbean waters, is now a potential key factor in the creation of new pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products, according to scientists.
The phenomenon, according to data from scientific research, is said to have high levels of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and antiviral properties, hence its ability to make significant contributions to the health industry globally.
This was mentioned by Idania Rodeiro Guerra, Scientific Vice Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICIMAR) of the Cuban Environment Agency, delivering a keynote lecture address on plants and seaweed.
Titled “Obtaining Bioactive Molecules from Plants and Seaweed: Principles and Case Studies,” the lecture was held at Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC).
Dominica Today reports that Geurra, in her address, details some findings regarding the potential of the seaweed.
She informs that sargassum’s hydroalcoholic extract shows antiherpetic activity by hindering the replication of herpes viruses HSV-1 and HSV-2, a discovery drawing the path for the development of drugs for oral consumption or topical application.
Guerra and her team, reports say, wrote an article on this, which is published in an acclaimed scientific journal, that is the Journal of Applied Phycology, published by German British Academy Publishing Company, Springer Nature.
Prior to these ongoing discoveries, sargassum, aside from its unappealing appearance, was only recognised for its negative impact on tourism and fishing industries in various Caribbean countries like Barbados, as it tends to settle on top of the ocean as well as wash up in large amounts on the shores. Also, sargassum, according to scholarly and news articles, is detrimental to coastal ecosystems as it can suffocate coral reefs as well as block newly hatched sea turtles from entering the ocean.
In fact, sargassum, of which there are 300 species according to scientists was once described as a “chronic environmental problem” that must be solved, by Dabor Resiere, Physician and Clinical Taxolohist at the University Hospital of Martinique, as mentioned in a 2023 report by EHP Publishing.
Sargassum Studies have been ongoing and successful in the region. In the Dominican Republic, INTECH has been at the top with research projects like the chemical composition of sargassum found on beaches in The Dominican Republic the production and analysis of carbon for water decontamination, activated by sargassum and the development of organic liquid bio-fertilizers from sargassum ( found to be to beneficial in the banana industry), Dominica Today reports.
