Abstract
Polysaccharides, lipids and amino acid profiles were investigated to understand the nutritional value of Caulerpa racemosa and Ulva fasciata from the Philippines. The results revealed that both species contain high amounts of proteins (8.8–19.9% for C. racemosa and 8.0–11.1% for U. fasciata). The portions of the total amino acids that were essential amino acids (EAAs) (45.28 ± 0.12% for C. racemosa and 42.17 ± 0.12% for U. fasciata) out were comparable to FAO/WHO requirements. Leucine, valine, isoleucine, and lysine are the dominant EAAs in C. racemosa, while leucine, valine, lysine, and phenylalanine are those in U. fasciata. The fatty acid profiles are dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in C. racemosa (56.2%), while saturated fatty acids (72.1%) are dominant in U. fasciata. High C18/C20 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios were recorded in both species. Mineral contents for both seaweeds were within levels considered safe for functional foods. Total pigment content of C. racemosa (140.84 mg/g dw) was almost 20 times higher than that of U. fasciata (7.54 mg/g dw). Hot water extract (HWE) from C. racemosa showed in vitro antiherpetic activity without cytotoxicity. Nutritional characteristics confirmed that C. racemosa could be potentially used as a nutritious and functional food items for human consumption.
Highlights
Many years ago, the Greek physician Hippocrates emphasized the importance of food and good health [1]
The species studied presented different nutritional values based on their nutritional characteristics, while presenting different biological activities
Wild Caulerpa racemosa collected in the Philippines offers real nutritional value based on the results of our studies
Summary
The Greek physician Hippocrates emphasized the importance of food and good health [1]. Population growth drives the need to find new protein, fiber, and mineral sources to feed future populations and fight food insecurity. Insects and marine algae have been proposed as novel and sustainable foods [4]. Marine macroalgae contain significant quantities of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, proteins, and polysaccharides, and various functional polyphenols, antioxidants, pigments, and lipids [2,5,6]. Marine macroalgae exhibit a wide diversity of minerals and trace elements, such as sodium, calcium, chlorine, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Algal protein content is generally high; this is especially the case for red algae, in which protein content represents 40% of the Molecules 2020, 25, 2901; doi:10.3390/molecules25122901 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules
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