ABSTRACT
The red algae Porphyra species such as P. yezoensis, P. haitanensis, and P. tenera are abundantly cultivated in East and Southeast Asia including Japan, Korea, and China as an important food source (Zhang et al. 2004; Ishihara et al. 2005). Porphyra species are extremely rich in nutrients and contain abundant polysaccharides, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. P. yezoensis and P. tenera are commonly known as “nori,” and are popularly consumed worldwide as a component of the traditional Japanese food such as “sushi” (Ishihara et al. 2005; Hatada et al. 2006). Besides being widely utilized in food manufacture, Porphyra species have actually been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine to cure some diseases for more than 1000 years (Zhang et al. 2004).
