The Fisheries Research Institute (FRI, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan) has achieved a breakthrough by successfully extracting algal proteins rich in branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) from brown macroalgae. These proteins can promote muscle protein synthesis, decelerate muscle loss, reduce sarcopenia, and bring back vitality to the lives of consumers.
The FRI has found that, compared with plant proteins from soybeans and corn, algal proteins are more readily absorbed by the human body, achieving up to 70% absorption after digestion. Research has shown that BCAAs such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine in algal proteins not only play a role in muscle synthesis, but also help to maintain muscle stability.
The FRI has utilized biological extraction techniques to extract algal proteins rich in BCAAs from mass-produced macroalgae in Taiwan such as Sargassum hemiphyllum var. chinense and Sargassum ilicifolium, as well as Sargassum horneri, which is often found along Taiwanese shores after drifting from Japan. Our experimental results have proved that these algal proteins can increase concentrations of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein kinase that promotes muscle synthesis. Consequently, the expressions of 4EBP1 and S6K1, signaling genes for muscle synthesis, can be activated to facilitate muscle protein growth.
Statistical data from the Ministry of the Interior has shown that Taiwan became an aged society in April 2018 after crossing the United Nations threshold of having 14% of the population being aged 65 years or above. Furthermore, Taiwan is expected to become a super-aged society by 2025, when over 20% of the population will be aged 65 years or above. Sarcopenia is often regarded as an invisible killer among elderly populations, and could be due in some cases to low protein intake. In the present study, biological procedures and the low utilization of marine resources were combined to extract algal proteins, which can be made into health supplements for enhancing muscle mass. As a result, the commercial value of macroalgae can be promoted, and elderly consumers will be able to regain muscle strength and lead happier lives.