Абсолют морських водоростей

Seaweed absolute is made from Fucus vesiculosus, also known as bladderwrack, a brown alga that is typically attached by a disc-shaped holdfast and has almost spherical air bladders. The fronds grow to 150 cm long. It is found on the coasts of the North Sea, the western Baltic Sea and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The alga contains iodine. It was the original source of iodine, discovered in 1811. The primary chemical constituents of the alga include mucilage, algin, mannitol, fucitol, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, volatile oils, iodine, bromine, potassium and other minerals. Fucoxanthin is a xanthophyll found as an accessory pigment in the chloroplasts of brown algae, giving them a brown or olive-green color. Dimethyl sulfide contributes to the characteristic odor of sea air and originates primarily from dimethylsulfoniopropionate, a major secondary metabolite in some marine algae.

The raw material for one supplier's absolute is harvested all year long off the coast of Brittany in northwestern France. Another supplier lists a seaweed absolute of Fucus vesiculosus et serratus. Laminaria digitata is a brown seaweed that grows in the cold waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and its absolute carries other registry numbers (CAS TSCA 1207666-16-7, CAS EINECS 90046-12-1).

The absolute is soluble in 190 proof alcohol and partially soluble in fixed oils. It imparts its aroma to fixed oils when the absolute and the oil are gently heated separately before being combined. When the mixture cools, insoluble material precipitates to the bottom, but the portion that remains is highly aromatic. Storage is in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed containers, protected from heat and light. The shelf life is 24 months, or longer if stored properly. Some people may suffer an allergic reaction to the iodine in the alga.

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