The overexploitation of terrestrial habitats, combined with the ever-growing demand for food, has led to the search for alternative food sources. The importance of seaweeds as food sources has been growing, and their potential as sources of fatty acids (FA) make seaweeds an interesting feedstock for the food and nutraceutical industries. The aim of this study is to assess the potential of five red seaweeds (Asparagospis armata, Calliblepharis jubata, Chondracanthus teedei var. lusitanicus, Gracilaria gracilis, and Grateloupia turuturu) and three brown seaweeds (Colpomenia peregrina, Sargassum muticum and Undaria pinnatifida), harvested in central Portugal, as effective sources of essential FA for food or as dietary supplements. FA were extracted from the biomass, transmethylated to methyl esters, and analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. G. gracilis presented the highest content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (41.49 mg·g−1), whereas C. jubata exhibited the highest content of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) (28.56 mg·g−1); the three G. turuturu life cycle stages presented prominent SFA and HUFA contents. Omega-6/omega-3 ratios were assessed and, in combination with PUFA+HUFA/SFA ratios, it is suggested that C. jubata and U. pinnatifida may be the algae with highest nutraceutical potential, promoting health benefits and contributing to a balanced dietary intake of fatty acids.
World aquaculture food production rises every year, amounting, by 2018, to another all-time record of 82.1 million tonnes of farmed seafood, with Asia leading global production. In Europe, although coastal countries present historical fishing habits, aquaculture is in true expansion. Norway, the leading European producer, is the eighth main producer worldwide. Portugal is a traditional fishing country but has invested in the development of aquaculture for the past decade, attaining, by 2018, 13.3 tonnes produced, making Portugal the 16th main producer amongst European Union member states that year. Most Portuguese aquaculture facilities operate in coastal systems, resorting to extensive and semi-intensive rearing techniques. In Portugal, marine food production in transitional systems is particularly interesting as the practice has, worldwide, been continuously substituted by intensive methods. In fact, facilities in transitional systems have developed over time and products gained higher commercial value. Clams and oysters corresponded, together, to over three quarters of total mollusc production in Portugal in 2018, while gilthead seabream and European seabass made up nearly all fish production in coastal environments. The state of aquaculture practices worldwide is reviewed in the present work, providing a particular focus on Portugal, where considerable development of the aquaculture sector is expected.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.