Evening star., 1951-04-18
Seoweeds Could Become
Important Food Source
Found to Be Potent Producers
Of Fats and Proteins
By Thomas R. Henry

AtS 0u0
By Thomos R. Henry
Lowly seaweeds, near the bottom Of
the scale of plant life, may become mans
most important food source.
They are extremely potent producers
OF fats and proteins, according to a re-
port to the American Chemical Society
by DR.. Paul M. Cook of the Stanford Re-
search Institute of Leland Stanford Uni
versity.
Protein shortage is mans most serious
munger threat. Proteins, heterogeneous
tanning food substances found mostly in
meats, eggs and the like, are essential to
life. Many proteins are found in plants
but there is some question as to whether
they can replace animal proteins.
The Stanford chemists are working
with one particular type of alga known
as chlorella. the biggest protein producer
among plants. Their experiments indi.
cate that more than Is tons of protein
a year could be harvested from one acre
OF the seaweed, compared with $50
pounds from an acre of soybeans, the
most productive agricultural source now
known.
It also has been established that the
chemical composition of chlorella can be
altered by changing the environment.
Normal rapidly growing cells of this
loWly plant have protein content of
more than SO per cent. but by reducing
the concentration of nitrogen in the
liquid in which they are grown cells with
a fat content of more than IS per cent
have been produced.
Protein Culture System.
continuous culture system has been
devised with continuous supply Of
nutrient and continuous harvest Of
cells. Artificial light was used but the
feasibility of growing the cultures In
full sunlight has been demonstrated.
Culture farms could be located in
desert areas, now of no value for agri-
culture.
There still is some question of the
value of the protein produced. It has
been used as the sole source in animal
feeding tests. but results still are some-
what indefinite. The proposal is to sub
stitute it for fish meal, meat scraps and
the like in poultry and livestock feed.
There is some possibility that 1t could
be made sufficiently palatable to meet
A chemical contained in human tears
may be an important factor in the
body's defense against infection.
This Is lysozyme, hitherto widely Sus-
pected as one Of the products Of infec-
ton.
The probable true role of it has been
reported to the American Chemical So
ciety by DR.. Gertrude Gottschall of CO.
lumbia University, working under a
Public Health Service grant. It's bad
reputation has been due to the fact
that it turns up at the site of inflam-
nation in ulcerative colitis, and bacillary
and amoebic dysentery due to bacterial
invasion.
Lysozyme in White Cells.
DIR. Gottschall's discovery is that the
substance is present in large amounts
Uncertain white blood cells whose pri-
mary function is to combat infection.
When bacteria enter the system, large
numbers of the type of cells known as
phagocytes rush to the scene of the in
vaslon. They devour the bacteria in the
infected tissues. first by engulfing them
and then digesting them. through the
action OF enzymes-agents which speed
up the transformations Of matter in
living organisms.
Lysozyme is such an engine. II
accounts for part of the bacteria-killing
power of the phagocytes. Naturally, in
consequence. lot of it will be found
In a heavily infected area. Red blood
cells and other, white cells contain very
little of the substance.
The engine first was discovered in
1922 by Sir Alexander Flemming. the
British physician who later attained
fame by the discovery Of penicillin. He,
however, did not properly interpret its
function
The highest concentration of lysozyme,
DR.. Gottschall says, occurs in tissues
most requiring protection and in those
tissues most concerned with protection.
The excretion of the engine is in
creased, especially in ulcerative colitis.
and this fact led earlier workers to
believe it had something to do with the
disease itself. Others have believed
that its excretion was closely related
to the emotional stresses which ac-
company the acute phase of this dis
ease, when patients are hard to get
along with and given to tantrums. In
creased secretion have been claimed
during such episodes.