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2019褐藻糖胶-保健新星(9)褐藻糖脂的未来发展

发布日期:2019-03-15

Fucoidan, also known as fucoidan and fucoidan, is an intercellular polysaccharide that exists in all brown algae. 


It has unique sulfur-containing groups and can protect the moisture of marine plants. Even under very harsh environments such as strong light exposure, it can still ensure the survival of marine brown algae.



Hopes for Fucoidan: Is It Still a Future Variety?

At the beginning, fucoidan was indeed on the verge of a fire. News and research reports on fucoidan and fucoxanthin increased significantly. At that time, the plant extraction market was still dominated by old varieties, the hot curcumin had not yet emerged, stevioside had not yet obtained EU approval, but the concept of " antioxidant" was in full bloom, and FDA had just established an antioxidant database. Fucoidan, which has a variety of health effects such as anti-oxidation and anti-cancer, has received rapid attention under the impetus of Japanese research. In particular, the health and longevity of Japanese people is partly attributed to the efficacy of fucoidan. Many enterprises at home and abroad began to research and develop this raw material. 



In 2010, domestic enterprises have submitted applications for new food raw materials to China's Health Planning Commission to promote the application of this raw material in China. However, with the rapid rise of curcumin attracting market attention, at the same time, the concept of " anti-oxidation" was questioned, a series of industrial events such as FDA's closure of the " anti-oxidation" database occurred, and the fucoidan itself did not have particularly obvious characteristics, and the extraction process at that time was relatively expensive. After 2012, relevant research and development news reports decreased rapidly, and almost disappeared after 2013, only occasionally reported. The enthusiasm of the whole market was quickly quenched and many enterprises entering this field suffered heavy losses. So far, the enterprises that actively entered this field at the beginning have either closed down or only been able to maintain. There are few enterprises that actually produce and supply goods.

At present, the market demand for fucoidan is all abroad, but the demand is very low. In 2016, China's export volume of fucoidan is only about 1.5 tons, basically exported to European and American markets. At present, fucoidan is the most widely used and developed fucoidan in the Japanese market, with more than 10 domestic suppliers, which can fully meet the needs of the Japanese market. However, domestic demand can be said to be virtually non-existent.

So, is there any hope for fucoidan? As far as our country is concerned, the development of fucoidan has multiple advantages:

Advantage of raw materials



Fucoidan exists in various marine algae and mollusks, and the main ingredient with production value is large brown algae, such as kelp, etc. China is the country with the largest scale of seaweed cultivation, processing and utilization. The annual output of kelp is over 2 million tons, and the cultivation areas are mainly concentrated in Rongcheng, Shandong, Xiapu, Lianjiang and other areas, with high concentration of raw materials.

Technical advantage

For example, Beijing Green Jinke, Beijing Blue Sky Land, Leading Organisms, Greentree and other companies all have fucoidan production technology and technology. According to reports from Xinmin Evening News and Dongfang Net in early 2013, the research team led by Professor Zhang Shuping of Shanghai University of Science and Technology developed a new technology for high-efficiency extraction of fucoidan, which can reduce the production cost by 50% and realize the high-efficiency co-production of " gum, iodine, alcohol and fucoidan" in the seaweed production area. Under this technology, the consumption of ethanol can be reduced by 90%, and the recycling rate of process water can reach 60%, which has great cost advantages and environmental protection advantages.

In recent years, although the market demand is very low, the technological research on fucoidan in our country has never stopped. Research institutions such as Zhejiang University, Qingdao University of Science and Technology and Shanghai Ocean University have also made many breakthroughs in the extraction technology, optimization and efficiency of fucoidan from kelp, carrageenan and Sargassum fusiforme. Research on the new efficacy of fucoidan has also made progress.

Market advantage


Take the Japanese market, which has developed well at present, as an example. The size of the Japanese market has reached nearly 100 million yuan. Various supplements containing fucoidan (fucoidan), tea drinks and electuary are well developed. In contrast, there is little development of related products in our market, let alone any market to talk about. Searches of Tmall, JD.com, Amazon and other major platforms also showed that there were few products, mostly from Okinawa, Japan, and sales were not large.

However, the development of fucoidan still needs to overcome the following challenges:

1. Legal Threshold:

At present, our country has no relevant laws and regulations on this raw material. In 2010, China's Health and Planning Commission accepted the application for fucoidan as a new food raw material from kelp, but so far no reply has been given. There are still obstacles to its application to common foods.

2. Cognitive threshold:

China is characterized by a strong tradition of traditional Chinese medicine and health care, with more emphasis on obtaining health benefits through foods with nourishing functions. There is still a psychological rejection of the use of supplements and other products. However, with the increase of people's health awareness, people's attitudes towards health care products are changing, and more and more consumers have learned about the functional benefits of products such as DHA and lutein. As for fucoidan/fucoidan, the vast majority of consumers may not have heard of it. How can they understand and buy it?

3. Product Positioning Threshold:

Even the fucoidan products currently available claim that their functional benefits are mainly to enhance immunity, while individual products claim to contribute to cardiovascular health, and their claims and positioning are not prominent. From the development of plant functional raw materials, products that can be quickly accepted and developed by consumers have unique characteristics and positioning that are accepted and understood by consumers. Such as ginkgo biloba extract (cognitive health), DHA (promoting intellectual development), lutein (eye health), resveratrol (cardiovascular health), lycopene (male health), curcumin (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant) and so on, the popularity of these products is confirmed by a large number of scientific studies on the one hand, and is not unrelated to its specific location on the other.

In contrast, the scientific research on fucoidan is not outstanding, especially the research that does not attract special attention from the health industry. In addition, there are many kinds of polysaccharide products, and fucoidan is not prominent. In 2016, the export volume of polysaccharide-containing extract reached 460 tons, while fucoidan accounted for only about 0.3%. The health claims of these polysaccharide raw materials are mostly for enhancing immunity or cardiovascular health, which is almost the same as the positioning of fucoidan.

4. Competition Threshold:


Similar to the trend of other plant extracts, the global market demand for fucoidan is also steadily increasing. However, as enterprises in South Korea, Australia, Taiwan Province of China and other countries and regions are also actively developing this raw material and seizing the market, the increase in the demand for fucoidan in the international market is not significant and only maintains a relatively low growth rate every year, so the price of this product is stable and has little fluctuation. However, with the gradual increase of comprehensive production cost, the profitability of this variety is actually declining.

How to break through?



Before discussing fucoidan, let's talk about another species: lycopene. Lycopene and fucoidan have many similarities: they are all derived from daily food; Has various health benefits; All of them have good antioxidant properties. Although fucoidan cannot be eaten as a pigment like lycopene, fucoxanthin produced together can be used as a pigment. Lycopene can be developed thanks to Israel's Le Conrad. Le Conrad specializes in the research and development of lycopene, and has funded a large number of research, and is committed to research and solve various challenges faced by lycopene in practical application. Among the various effects of lycopene such as antioxidation, anti-cancer and cardiovascular health, Leconrad chose lycopene's contribution to male prostate health as the starting point, and conducted many studies and verifications, which also became a major health orientation of lycopene. At present, on this basis, lycopene has begun to enter other health fields: promoting cardiovascular health and overall beauty.

Another thing worth mentioning is curcumin. Mention the rise of curcumin, you have to mention a company: Sabina. Sabina has played an important role in promoting the development of curcumin, including based on the global market, actively seeking government support, improving the quality control system, actively supporting scientific research, especially actively developing relevant technologies in the face of the bioavailability problem of curcumin, etc. Driven by Sabina and other curcumin developers, curcumin has grown from an ordinary small variety to a star material in plant extracts and has been on fire for many years.


There are many kinds of plant extracts, and there are more to be developed. However, the reason why many varieties can stand firm in the niche market lies in their rarity or novelty, and most products have such and such insurmountable challenges. The raw materials, technology and market potential of fucoidan are not scarce. In particular, fucoidan originates from marine algae and is less polluted as a whole. There are no common land problems such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and soil, serious water pollution and water shortage, and there is no problem of competing for agricultural land. The processing can use the waste residue after deep processing of seaweed, which can further reduce the cost and realize in-depth comprehensive utilization.

What is missing for fucoidan is a change of thinking. Such as lycopene and curcumin, although they have their own advantages, it is still the pursuit and breakthrough of enterprises that play a key role. China's plant extract industry has not done enough in this respect. I remember that as early as 2010, at the forum on enhancing the international competitiveness of plant extract industry, Ms. Zhang Shuli, director of plant extract bridge media, proposed that providing solutions is the development direction of plant extract in the future, otherwise we can only be the lowest-end raw material supplier. At that time, the industry did not respond very well. It was not until 2015, five years later, that some enterprises had to actively provide solution services because of the clear demand presented by the market.


Now, the service scope of plant extract raw material suppliers has been extended forward again. Suppliers not only need to provide raw materials, but also provide solutions, and will also provide research and development on the health benefits of products.


In this regard, we have noticed that domestic enterprises have already started to implement it. The development of fucoidan also requires such entrepreneurs to explore, study its efficacy, find out accurate positioning, break through legal restrictions, launch consumer education, and open up the entire industrial chain of China's market. This is a systematic project. Judging from the current situation in the domestic industry, it is difficult for individual enterprises to implement it alone. It needs the cooperation of enterprises, governments, scientific research institutes and other stakeholders.


Alibaba store:SQT Bulk Fucoidan 85% brown seaweed extract


More info please visit our website: Hunan Sunshine Bio-Tech Co.,Ltd   


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