Powdered tissue from 46 species of air-dried marine algae (four green, 21 brown and 21 red algae) were screened for antitumor activity . Significant activity against Ehrlich carcinoma was found in the brown algae Scytosiphon lomentaria (69.8 % inhibition), Lessonia nigrescens (60 .0 %), Laminaria japonica (57.6 %), Sargassum ringgoldianum (46.5%), the red algae Porphyra yezoensis (53 .2%) and Eucheuma gelatinae (52.1 %) and the green alga Enteromorpha prolifera (51 .7 %) . Five brown and four red algae showed appreciable antitumor activity against Meth-A fibrosarcoma . To identify specific molecules with antitumor activity, 15 kinds of polysaccharide preparations of seaweed origin and 24 kinds of lipid fractions extracted from various seaweeds were tested . Appreciable inhibition of Ehrlich carcinoma was found for fucoidan preparations from Undaria pinnatifida and Sargassum ringgoldianum, for carrageenans and for porphyran . Several glycolipid and phospholipid fractions from brown and red algae were effective against Meth-A fibrosarcoma.
* 1 *2 ' * 3 represent p < 0 .05, p < 0 .01, p < 0 .00 1 significant difference, respectively . Family Species Inhibition rate (%) CHLOROPHYTA Monostromaceae Monostroma nitidum Wittrock 24.3 Ulvaceae Ova pertusa Kjellman 32.6*' Enteromorpha prolifera (Muller) J. Agardh 51 .7*' Codiaceae Codium fragile (Suringar) Hariot 43 .4*'