Macroalgae have been found to be built of a number of compounds including polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, water and a variety of macro- and microelements. Brown algae contain fucoidan, a fucose-containing sulfonated polysaccharide. Fucoidan from brown algae such as the common bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus L.) is now widely examined in many countries for its interesting biological and therapeutic properties. Its antivirus, antitumor and cardioprotective effects have already been proved. In this study, fucoidan was separated and identified in bladder wrack thalli during extraction in water and hydrochloric acid. Preliminary tests allowed for identifying fucoidan during five-minute extraction. A simple, repeatable analytic procedure was developed using inexpensive apparatus for cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis.
Concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc in Lowland and Merino wool fibres were determined using differential pulse voltammetry, and iron concentration was measured by means of the spectrophotometric method. A differentiation in the concentration of the above elements in the same staple was Pb: 13.5-29.31 [mg/kg]; Cd: 0.95-4.59 [mg/kg]; Zn: 57.21-91.34 [mg/kg]; Cu: 2.79-5.91 [mg/kg]; Fe: 58.94-830.08 [mg/kg] for Polish Merino fleece, and Pb: 5.88-11.79 [mg/kg]; Cd: 1.35-4.92 [mg/kg]; Zn: 55.52-86.85 [mg/kg]; Cu: 1.66-4.58 [mg/kg]; Fe: 70.27-614.34 [mg/kg] for Polish Lowland fleece. The effects of metal pollution on structural and utilizable conditions were investigated.