News Excerpt:
A group of phycologists from the Department of Botany at Catholicate College in Pathanamthitta has discovered a new algal species in the Western Ghats.
More about the news:
- Researchers discovered a new algal species named “Oedocladium sahyadricum” in the natural forests of Kumbhavurutty region in Kollam district, Kerala.
- The name 'sahyadricum' refers to the Western Ghats (also known as Sahyadri), which is rich in plant diversity and provides ideal conditions for the growth of terrestrial microalgae.
- The discovery has been published in Taiwania, an International Journal of Biodiversity.
- The researchers identified the species by its unique features, such as
- Being dioecious and terrestrial
- Having a superior operculum
- Possessing ellipsoid oogonium and oospore.
- The alga was found as a thin mat of elongated strands on damp soil, with a velvety green color that turns yellowish-green as it matures, and likely requires rainy weather for abundant growth.
- This is the first time a species in the Oedocladium category has been recorded in Kerala.
- The researchers noted that Kerala, part of the Western Ghats, is still not well-studied for soil green filamentous algae.
- One of the researchers stated that species of Oedocladium have potential practical applications in medicine, agriculture, and in the production of a natural pigment called astaxanthin, which has unique biological activities and health benefits. The benefits are:
- It protects Red Blood Cells (RBCs) from oxidative damage, which can impair their ability to deliver oxygen to body tissues as we age.
- Astaxanthin significantly improves blood flow. Better oxygenation of tissues leads to better overall cellular and tissue function.
- Algae play a significant role in ecosystems and have enormous economic importance in the world market, from high-value products to wastewater treatment.
