Ecklonia cava

Ecklonia cava
Ecklonia cava
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Sar
Clade: Stramenopiles
Division: Ochrophyta
Class: Phaeophyceae
Order: Laminariales
Family: Lessoniaceae
Genus: Ecklonia
Species:
E. cava
Binomial name
Ecklonia cava
Kjellm., 1885

Ecklonia cava, also called paddle weed, kajime (Japanese: 搗布/未滑海藻), noro-kajime, or gamtae (Korean감태), is an edible marine brown alga species found in the ocean off Japan and Korea.

It is used as an herbal remedy in the form of an extract called Seanol, a polyphenolic extract, and Ventol, a phlorotannin-rich natural agent. Phlorotannins, such as fucodiphlorethol G, 7-phloro eckol, 6,6'-bieckol, eckol, 8,8'-bieckol, 8,4"'-dieckol and phlorofucofuroeckol A can be isolated from Ecklonia cava. Other components are common sterol derivatives (fucosterol, ergosterol and cholesterol).

It is also identified as a viable colloid source for use in the biotech industry.