Nutritional profiling of the edible seaweeds Gracilaria edulis, Ulva lactuca and Sargassum sp.

Abstract

In the present study, nutritional composition of the edible seaweeds, Gracilaria edulis (red seaweed), Ulva lactuca (green seaweed) and Sargassum sp. (brown seaweed) were evaluated. ). Palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2, ω-6) were the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), respectively. Fatty acid profile also revealed that small quantity of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6, ω-3) ranging from 0.064 to 0.494% was present in all the three seaweed species but eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5, ω-3) was present only in Sargassum sp. at a concentration of 0.583%. G. edulis had higher vitamin D2 (2.590 mg 100 g -1 ), vitamin E (1.017 mg 100 g -1 ) and vitamin K1 (0.714 mg 100 g -1 ) than Sargassum sp. and U. lactuca. The results clearly indicates that these three seaweeds can be considered as a good source of dietary fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins and can be used for fortifying foods or as components of functional foods.

Metabolites Unravel Nutraceutical Potential of Edible Seaweeds: An Emerging Source of Functional Food

“…Protein content from the promising edible seaweeds Sargassum sp. (brown seaweed), Ulva lactuca (green seaweed) and Gracilaria edulis (Gmelin) Silva (red seaweed) has been found to be in the range of 13.84% to 18.21% (Debbarma et al., ). Commonly, brown seaweeds contain a high amount of aspartic acid and glutamic acid.…”

Biochemical, Micronutrient and Physicochemical Properties of the Dried Red Seaweeds Gracilaria edulis and Gracilaria corticata

“…Seaweeds are very important natural resources from the oceans that are employed as human foods and animal feeds in their whole form, and as sources of polysaccharides (mainly alginates, carrageenans and agar), carotenoids, lipids, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, proline and amino acids for use in food and pharmaceutical industry [1]. Seaweeds have been included for a long time in the traditional diet of East Asian countries such as Japan, Korea and China; more recently, their presence in all forms in the diet of Western countries has been progressively increasing [2].…”

“…Seaweeds are considered healthy foods because, despite their low caloric content, they are rich in important nutrients such as protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and some bioactive compounds [1]. Seaweeds are also an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.…”

“…Among red algae, the genus Gracilaria contains a broad diversity of valuable contents for human nutrition and are one of the world’s most cultivated and valuable marine seaweed [3]. Its lipid content is low (1–5% dry weight, DW) [1], but it contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which is recognized as the most important n -3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases [4,5]. In particular, n -3 PUFAs act as excellent antioxidants, strengthening the cell membrane, repairing damaged cells and tissues, improving heart function and fighting against cancer [6].…”

Cytotoxicity and Antiangiogenic Activity ofTurbinaria ornataAgardh andPadina australisHauck Ethanolic Extracts

“…Macroalgae, also known as seaweed, is one of the most extensively used functional foods and medicinal herbs in many parts of the globe especially in Asian countries. It is known as functional food because of its richness in lipids [ 4 ], minerals [ 5 ], and certain nutrients [ 6 ]. It also has several bioactive substances like polysaccharides [ 7 ], proteins [ 8 ], and polyphenols [ 9 ], with potential medicinal uses against cancer [ 10 ], inflammation [ 11 ], allergy [ 12 ], diabetes [ 13 ], thrombosis [ 14 ], obesity [ 15 ], lipidemia [ 16 ], hypertension [ 17 ], and other degenerative diseases.…”