Genotype analysis of commercial products of the soft seaweed Undaria pinnatifida (Laminariales, Alariaceae)

Genotypes of commercial products of the soft seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida, or wakame, were examined to evaluate if genetic analyses can be used with the processed materials, and to compare the genotypes from various localities. A total of 56 kinds of the commercial products (raw, boiled, salted, dried), and 3 aquaculture strains were used to amplify partial fragments of the COIII and RubisCO genes by PCR, and their DNA nucleotide sequences were determined. There were 9 and 3 haplotypes detected for the COIII and RubisCO genes, respectively, allowing separation of the specimens into 11 genotypes. The two most common genotypes where found in 31 and 14 products, while the other 9 genotypes where only found in 1–4 products. These results suggest that the genotype analysis can be used for any form of U. pinnatifida products and will be useful to develop a method to maintain the commercial value of U. pinnatifida made along the Sanriku Coast.