Musgo de Irlanda
TaxonomíaReino: ProtistaFilo: RhodophytaClase: FlorideophyceaeOrden: GigartinalesFamilia: GigartinaceaeGénero: ChondrusEspecie: C. crispus
Stackh.

El musgo de Irlanda, musgo carrageen (del irlandés carraigín),( "pequeña roca") o irish moss en inglés —nombre científico Chondrus crispus— es un alga roja (filo Rhodophyta) muy abundante, que en ocasiones forma céspedes, siempre sobre superficies rocosas. Se encuentra en todas las costas atlánticas de Europa y Norteamérica.

Se trata de una especie con valor económico. Se aprovechan los polisacáridos complejos de su mucílago, que forman la mayor parte de su peso una vez deshidratadas. En medicina se emplea como emoliente y laxante, consumida en infusión. Se emplean como emmulsionantes por la industria alimentaria y también en la cocina doméstica.

Propiedades[editar]

Principios activos: contiene abundantes mucílagos (hasta un 80%): carragenanas. Sales minerales.

Indicaciones: se usa como droga (antiinflamatoria, protector de las mucosas); saciante, reduce la absorción intestinal de lípidos y glúcidos, laxante, inmunoestimulante, antitusivo. Emoliente, sudorífico. Indicado para gripe, resfriados, faringitis, laringitis, bronquitis, enfisema, asma. Gastritis, úlceras gastroduodenales, estreñimiento. Coadyuvante en el tratamiento del sobrepeso, hiperlipidemias y diabetes. A nivel intestinal puede interferir en la absorción de sales minerales, vitaminas y otros medicamentos, si se administran al mismo tiempo. En pacientes diabéticos, controlar la glucemia, ante la posibilidad de que se requiera ajustar las dosis de insulina o de antidiabéticos orales.

Las algas se cortan a ras del suelo, se lavan con agua dulce y se dejan secar al aire libre poniéndose pálidas con el sol. Cuando el musgo está seco si se pone en agua y se calienta desaparece en esta y al enfriarse se cuaja en una jalea. Decocción: una cucharada de postre por taza. Hervir 5 minutos, dos o tres tazas al día. Para combatir la tos: Se hierve una onza de regaliz durante media hora en 1 L de agua, se cuela y se pone de nuevo al fuego, se le añaden 5 g de musgo y se deja hervir 5 minutos más. Para el estreñimiento crónico: Se pone en remojo (agua fría) media onza de musgo cortado en pedacitos. Se ponen a hervir 15 g de ciruelas en 1 litro de agua durante 15 minutos, se le quitan los huesos y las pieles y la pulpa hecha papilla se pone al fuego con 2 o 3 cucharadas de miel y el musgo en remojo hasta conseguir una jalea clara. Tomar una buena taza antes de acostarse o después de las comidas si no es suficiente.

Nombre común[editar]

• Castellano: musgo de Irlanda, musgo perlado, musgo marino, carrageen, lique

Referencias[editar]

Enlaces externos[editar]

• Wikimedia Commons alberga una categoría multimedia sobre Chondrus crispus.
• Museum of London - Caribbean London - Catalogue
• Summers, Adam (julio de 2006). «Keep Me Hanging On : Surviving in the intertidal zone tests the rubbery limits of algae». Natural History115 (6): 26-27. Archivado desde el original el 27 de septiembre de 2007.
• Seaweed Site
• AlgaeBase
• Marine Life Information Network
• Innovations
• Rhode Island
• Industria irlandesa de musgos de Prince Edward Island[1]

Bibliografía[editar]

• wikipecies(en inglés)

• Flora y fauna en asturnatura
• Vanaclocha B, Cañigueral S. Vademécum de prescripción. Barcelona: Elsevier-Masson; 2003 [2] cuya información actualizada se encuentra en [http://www.fitoterapia.net

• Página de portalfarma

• Museo de Londres - Caribbean London - Catálogo

• Marine Life Information Network

Obtenido de «https://es.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chondrus_crispus&oldid=110432309»

Chondrus crispus—commonly called Irish moss or carrageen moss (Irishcarraigín, "little rock")—is a species of red algae which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. In its fresh condition this protist is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown. The principal constituent is a mucilaginous body, made of the polysaccharide carrageenan, which constitutes 55% of its dry weight. The organism also consists of nearly 10% dry weight protein and about 15% dry weight mineral matter, and is rich in iodine and sulfur. When softened in water it has a sea-like odour and because of the abundant cell wall polysaccharides it will form a jelly when boiled, containing from 20 to 100 times its weight of water.

Description

Chondrus crispus is a relatively small sea algae, reaching up to a little more than 20 cm in length. It grows from a discoid holdfast and branches four or five times in a dichotomous, fan-like manner. The morphology is highly variable, especially the broadness of the thalli. The branches are 2–15 mm broad, firm in texture and the color ranges from light to dark green, dark red, purple, brown, yellowish, and white. The gametophytes (see below) often show a blue iridescence at the tip of the fronds^[1] and fertile sporophytes show a spotty pattern. Mastocarpus stellatus (Stackhouse) Guiry is a similar species which can be readily distinguished by its strongly channelled and often somewhat twisted thallus. The cystocarpic plants of Mastocarpus show reproductive papillae^{[clarification needed]} quite distinctively different from Chondrus.^[2] When washed and sun-dried for preservation, it has a yellowish, translucent, horn-like aspect and consistency.

Distribution

Chondrus crispus is common all around the shores of Ireland and can also be found along the coast of Europe including Iceland, the Faroe Islands^[3] western Baltic Sea to southern Spain.^[2] It is found on the Atlantic coasts of Canada^[2][4] and recorded from California in the United States to Japan.^[2] However, any distribution outside the Northern Atlantic needs to be verified. There are also other species of the same genus in the Pacific Ocean, for example, C. ocellatus Holmes, C. nipponicus Yendo, C. yendoi Yamada et Mikami, C. pinnulatus (Harvey) Okamura and C. armatus (Harvey) Yamada et Mikami.^[5]

Ecology

Chondrus crispus is found growing on rock from the middle intertidal zone into the subtidal zone,^[6] all the way to the ocean floor. So it is very hard for sunlight to reach it.

C. crispus is susceptible to infection from the oomycetePythium porphyrae^[7][8]

Uses

Chondrus crispus is an industrial source of carrageenan, which is commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer^[9] in milk products such as ice cream^[10] and processed foods, including lunch meat. In Europe, it is indicated as E407 or E407b. It may also be used as a thickener in calico-printing and paper marbling, and for finingbeer or wine. Irish moss is frequently used with Mastocarpus stellatus (Gigartina mamillosa), Chondracanthus acicularis (G. acicularis) and other seaweeds, which are all commonly found growing together. Carragheen and agar-agar are also used in Asia for gelatin-like desserts, such as almond jelly. Presently, the major source of carrageenan is tropical seaweeds of the genera Kappaphycus and Eucheuma.^[11]

In Ireland and parts of Scotland (where it is also known as (An) Cairgean in Scottish Gaelic), it is boiled in milk and strained, before sugar and other flavourings such as vanilla, cinnamon, brandy or whiskey are added.^[12] The end-product is a kind of jelly similar to pannacotta, tapioca, or blancmange.^[13] Similarly, in Jamaica and Trinidad and TobagoGracilaria spp is boiled with cinnamon and milk to make a thick drink called Irish Moss that is believed to be an aphrodisiac.^[14] In Venezuela it has been used for generations as a home remedy for sore throat and chest congestion, boiled in milk and served with honey before bed.^{[citation needed]}

Irish moss is commonly used as a clarifying agent or finings in the process of brewing (beer), particularly in homebrewing. A small amount is added to the kettle or "copper" where it is boiled with the wort, attracting proteins and other solids, which are then removed from the mixture after cooling along with the copper finings.

Life history

Chondrus crispus undergoes an alternation of generation life cycle common in many species of algae (see figure below). There are two distinct stages: the sexual haploidgametophyte stage and the asexual diploidsporophyte stage. In addition, there is a third stage- the carposporophyte, which is formed on the female gametophyte after fertilization. The male and female gametophytes produce gametes which fuse to form a diploid carposporophyte, which forms carpospores, which develops into the sporophyte. The sporophyte then undergoes meiosis to produce haploid tetraspores (which can be male or female) that develop into gametophytes. The three stages (male, female and sporophyte) are difficult to distinguish when they are not fertile; however, the gametophytes often show a blue iridescence.

Scientific interest

Seaweed, irishmoss, rawNutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)Energy 205 kJ (49 kcal) Sugars 0.61 gDietary fiber 1.3 g VitaminsQuantity%DV^†Riboflavin (B2) 0.466 mgNiacin (B3) 0.593 mgPantothenic acid (B5) 0.176 mgVitamin B6 0.069 mgFolate (B9) 182 μgVitamin C 3 mgVitamin E 0.87 mgVitamin K 5 μg MineralsQuantity%DV^†Calcium 72 mgIron 8.9 mgMagnesium 144 mgManganese 0.37 mgPhosphorus 157 mgSodium 61 mgZinc 1.95 mg

---

^†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient DatabaseChondrus crispus is, compared to most other seaweeds, well-investigated scientifically. It has been used as a model species to study photosynthesis, carrageenan biosynthesis, and stress responses.The nuclear genome was sequenced in 2013.^[15] The genome size is 105 Mbp and is coding for 9,606 genes. It is characterised by relatively few genes with very few introns. The genes are clustered together, with normally short distances between genes and then large distances between groups of genes.

See also

• Gelidium amansii

References