A University of Santo Tomas (UST) research group, headed by National Research Council of the Philippines-Pharmaceutical Science Project member and UST Laboratory Equipment and Supplies Office Administrator Prof. Ross Vasquez, PhD, found that polysaccharides extracted from the Codium species are “effective against cancer cells and destructive enzymes associated with cancer metastasis.” Prof. Ross Vasquez, PhD, leader of the University of Santo Tomas research team on pukpuklo, presents the study on the potential anticancer properties of the seaweed. Codium species, specifically the seasonally available seaweed known as pukpuklo, can be found in selected waters in Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Province, Iloilo and Aklan. It is often harvested for food. In Ilocos, it is made into a seaweed salad dish with the same name.

UST researchers bare potential anti-cancer properties in local seaweed. (2019, April 25). The Manila Times, p. E4.