Hydrodictyon reticulatum

Generally the most abundant sterol in higher plants is sitosterol which has a 24a-ethyl (Table 1), which accounts for about 50 to 80% of the total amount of plant sterols [16]. However, only seven species of 39 plants hitherto examined have been known to contain BRs with a 24a-ethyl and these are not major BRs except in the green alga Hydrodictyon reticulatum [18] (Tables 1 and 2). Furthermore, immature seed of Phaseolus vulgaris contains sitosterol as the major sterol (56% of the total sterol), however, corresponding BRs (28-homocastasterone and related BRs) were detected at very low levels [19]. On the other hand, campesterol and 24-methylene-25-methylenecholesterol each accounts for only about 3% of the total sterols. However, castasterone and 25-methyldolichosterone (and related BRs), which structurally correspond to these sterols, respectively, are major... 

Hi 24-Epicampesterol (Cjj) R2 24-Epicastasterone 24-Epibrassinolide Hydrodictyon reticulatum [18] Phaseolus vulgaris (seed) [28, 64] Orniihopus sativus (shoot/seed) [22,29] (4 species)... 

Hi Sitosterol (Cj,) fxfi R2 Homocascasterone Homobrassinolide Oryza sativa (seed-bran) [30] Brassica campestris (seed) [31] Hydrodictyon reticulatum [18] (7 species)... 

The macroalgae Hydrodictyon reticulatum are fed with the mineral and organic pollutants of the river they multiply at a high rate from April until October. Yields are 50-100 % higher in heated ponds than in non-heated ponds, and they amount to 12 to 18 tons dry biomass/ha.year in the climatic belgian conditions (i.e. 6-7 months culture). 

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