Abstract
Twenty-two tropical seaweeds from the Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta and Chlorophyta were examined for their possible use as nutritional supplements. All seaweeds contained balanced Na/K and C/N ratio and high amounts of macroelements (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) as compared to the terrestrial vegetables. Among the microelements, Fe was the highest followed by Zn, Mn, Cu and other trace elements. Fatty acid distribution showed high level of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and their ratios were within the WHO prescribed limits. The higher ratios of PUFA/SFA (>0. 4) are in agreement with the recommendations of nutritional guidelines. Most of the species, especially the Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta, had permissible intake values of unsaturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes comparable to milk-based products. Principal component analysis demonstrated a correlation between total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, DPPH, and O2•- radical scavenging activity, suggesting polyphenols as the chief contributor to the antioxidant activity in seaweeds. These results indicate that these seaweeds could be a potential source of natural antioxidants, minerals and high-quality PUFAs and may be efficiently used as ingredients in functional foods.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 797-810 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Journal of Applied Phycology |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2011 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Discipline of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), G.B. Marg, Bhavnagar 364021, India e-mail: crk@csmcri.org
Acknowledgements The financial support received from CSIR (NWP-018) is gratefully acknowledged. The first author (MK) and second author (PK) gratefully acknowledge the CSIR, New Delhi, for awarding the Senior and Junior Research Fellowships. The third (NT), fourth (MKS), and fifth (VG) authors also expresses their gratitude to CSIR (RSP-016) and Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, for financial support.
Keywords
- Antioxidant potential
- Minerals
- PUFAs
- Tropical seaweeds