Biochemical composition of red, green and brown seaweeds on the Swedish west coast

Abstract

Seaweed biomass has the potential to become an important raw material for bio-based production. The aim of this study was to screen the overall composition of several seaweed species on the Swedish west coast, including some scarcely studied species, to provide fundamentals for evaluation of biorefining potential and to benchmark with already potentially industrially relevant species and commercially important land-based biomasses. Twenty-two common seaweed species (green, red, brown) were collected and the carbohydrate, ash, protein, water and metal contents were measured. Carbohydrate content varied between 237 and 557 g kg−1 dry weight (dw), making it the largest constituent, on a dry weight basis, of most species in the study. Ash, which is considered unwanted in biorefining, ranged between 118 and 419 g kg−1 dw and was the largest constituent in several seaweeds, which were therefore considered unsuitable for biorefining. Protein content was most abundant in the red seaweeds but was generally low in all species (59–201 g kg−1 dw). High contents of several unwanted metals for processing or human consumption were found (e.g. aluminium, arsenic, copper, chromium and nickel), which need to be considered when utilizing seaweeds for certain applications. Potential targets for further biorefinery development mostly include species already known for their potential (Saccharina latissima, Laminaria digitata and Chondrus crispus) while some, such as Halidrys siliquosa and Dilsea carnosa, have not been previously noted. However, more detailed studies are required to explore biorefinery processes for these seaweeds, as well as how to potentially cultivate them.

Multi-Step Subcritical Water Extracts of Fucus vesiculosus L. and Codium tomentosum Stackhouse: Composition, Health-Benefits and Safety

“…The lipid and ash content of F. vesiculosus and C. tomentosum agree generally with that described in the literature [56,[58][59][60][61]. The lipid content found in this work was 3.4 ± 0.5 and 2.2 ± 0.6 g/100 g (dw) for F. vesiculosus and C. tomentosum, respectively.…”

“…The protein content is known to be higher in green and red seaweeds (10-47% dw) than in brown seaweeds (5-24% dw) [2]. The protein content found for F. vesiculosus is within the range observed by other authors [57,60,61]. On the other hand, C. tomentosum showed a relatively higher protein content than that reported in some studies [62,63], but similar to that obtained by Rodrigues et al [56].…”

Effects of geographical location on potentially valuable components in Ulva intestinalis sampled along the Swedish coast

“…However, this level is not always exceeded by Ulva spp. in Swedish waters, as has been previously shown (Olsson, Toth, & Albers, 2020a), and factors influencing fluctuations of such metal content in biomass require further investigation. It has been previously shown that so-called "heavy metals" can influence the thickness of the cell wall in U. intestinalis (Zeroual et al, 2020).…”

Effects of Several Preharvest Canopy Applications on Yield and Quality of Table Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) Cv. Crimson Seedless

“…Seaweed extracts are organic and biodegradable substances and are considered an important source of nutrition in sustainable agriculture [ 16 ]. There are numerous seaweed species, with more than 10,000 red, brown and green seaweed species [ 17 ]. Some brown seaweed species are used more frequently, such as Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol., Ecklonia maxima , Macrocystis pyrifera and Durvillea potatorum [ 17 ].…”

“…There are numerous seaweed species, with more than 10,000 red, brown and green seaweed species [ 17 ]. Some brown seaweed species are used more frequently, such as Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol., Ecklonia maxima , Macrocystis pyrifera and Durvillea potatorum [ 17 ]. According to Metting et al [ 18 ], plants that are treated with seaweed extracts had increased crop yield, nutrition uptake, seed germination and postharvest shelf-life, and they were also resistant to stress conditions, such as high temperature or frost, and less susceptible to insect attacks and fungal infections.…”