The basic nutritional aspects and parameters of freshwater and marine algal food products are described. Blue-green algae (<I>Spirulina pacifica, S. platensis</I>), green algae (<I>Chlorella pyrenoidosa</I>), red algae (<I>Palmaria palmata, Porphyra tenera</I>), and brown algae (<I>Eisenia bicyclis, Hizikia fusiformis, Laminaria japonica, Undaria pinnatifida</I>) were used for this purpose. The ash content, total nitrogen, dietary fibers, and in vitro digestibility of the above-mentioned algal species were studied. The ash contents amounted to 8–11% (for freshwater) and 9–33% (for marine) of the weights of the algal samples. The total nitrogen contents were analysed using a modified Winkler’s method; in the process, higher nitrogen contents were observed in freshwater algae than in marine ones. For the analysis of dietary fiber contents, the instrument Ankom<sup>220</sup> Fibre Analyser was used. The marine brown algae species were generally assigned higher contents of dietary fiber than the freshwater algal products. The results of the dietary fiber analysis differed with the methodologies used. Pepsin, pancreatin, and a combination of both were applied for the study of <I>in vitro</I> digestibility. Generally, brown algae showed the worst digestibility in comparison with other algal food products.
Amino acid content before and after heat treatment was assessed in grain of six selected amaranth varieties and four species: Amaranthus cruentus, A. hypochondriacus, A. caudatus and A. hybridus, cultivated in the Czech Republic. High content of Lys and Arg was detected in both heat treated and untreated grains, as well as satisfactory content of Cys and lower levels of Met, Val, Ile and Leu. The latter three amino acids appear as limiting. Chemical scores of essential amino acids and essential amino acid index (EAAI) were determined. EAAI value of 90.4% shows the favourable nutritional quality of amaranth protein, which is almost comparable with egg protein. Heat treatment by popping at 170 to 190°C for 30 s resulted in decreased EAAI to 85.4%. Of the essential amino acids under study, Val and Leu contents decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The relatively high content of essential amino acids in amaranth grain predetermines its use as a substitution of meat-and-bone meals.
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.