A domestic research team has found a sleep-inducing substance from species of brown algae for the first time in the world.

The Korea Food Research Institute says a team led by Dr. Han Dae-seok and Dr. Jo Seung-mok have successfully discovered the polyphenol phlorotannin in a species of Ecklonia cava, or brown algae, which grows on Korean coastlines, and successfully identified how the substance induces sleep.

The research team conducted animal tests using extracts from brown algae, which grow in the sea along the coast of Jeju Island. They confirmed that the substance reduced the amount of time needed by animals to fall asleep, and lengthened the length of deep sleep.

In addition, they completed applications for domestic and international patents on the sleep-inducing effects of seven natural marine life forms, including phlorotannin, which was extracted from brown algae.

The institute said the substance from brown algae has increased the likelihood of developing a new form of natural sleep-inducing medication and sleeping aids without side effects. It said it is currently negotiating technological transfer with the pharmaceutical company.