Undaria pinnatifida, also commonly known as its Japanese name, wakame, is an edible brown seaweed native to Southeast Asia. It is the most commonly consumed seaweed in Asia, and is used as an ingredient of soup and salads. U. pinnatifida has been cultivated for centuries in Korea and Japan as a nutritious food source. In oriental medicine, it has been used for blood purification, skin, hair, and reproductive organs. In Korea, soup made of U. pinnatifida, which is called Miyok-guk in Korean, is particularly consumed by women after giving birth as it contains high content of calcium, iodine, and nutrients that are essential for nursing new mothers.

U. pinnatifida contains high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid. It also contains notable amount of the nutrients including glycolipids, carotenoids (particularly fucoxanthin and zeaxanthin), fucosterols, alginates, and sulfated polysaccharides. The studies on fucoxanthin, which is dominant fat-soluble carotenoid in brown seaweeds, have demonstrated its anti-acne, anti-obesity, and anti-oxidant properties. The polysaccharides derived from U. pinnatifida such as fucoidans exhibit a wide range of biological activities including anti-oxidant and melanogenesis inhibition activities.