Abstract
Usage of seaweeds as a functional food/food ingredient is very limited due to paucity of scientific information about variations in the nutritional composition of seaweeds under diverse climatic conditions. Sargassum wightii and Ulva rigida seaweeds are found abundantly on the Southern Indian coastline and were thoroughly evaluated in this work. Crude fiber and lipid of S. wightii were higher (24.93 ± 0.23% and 3.09 ± 0.41%, respectively) as compared to U. rigida; however, U. rigida had higher crude protein content (27.11 ± 0.62%). Evaluation of mineral and CHNS content indicated that the concentration of potassium, magnesium, and calcium was 1.36 ± 0.08 mg/g, 8.39 ± 0.80 mg/g, and 14.03 ± 3.46 mg/g, respectively, that was higher in the S. wightii, whereas U. rigida contained higher value of iron, carbon, and sulphur (0.70 ± 0.13 mg/g, 37.72 ± 4.63%, and 2.61 ± 0.16%, respectively). Swelling capacity (19.42 ± 0.00 mL/g DW to 22.66 ± 00 mL/g DW), water-holding capacity (6.15 ± 0.08 g/g DW to 6.38 ± 0.14 g/g DW), and oil-holding capacity (2.96 ± 0.13 g/g DW) of U. rigida were significantly ( p < 0.05 ) higher as compared to S. wightii. It was observed from DSC thermograms that S. wightii can be safely processed for food formulations even at a temperature of 134°C. The thermograms also revealed changes in the sulphated polysaccharide (fucoidan) profile due to the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups with denaturation of proteins. TGA of S. wightii and U. rigida showed degradation temperature within the range of 200–300°C due to divergent polysaccharide compositions. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the presence of phenolic groups in both seaweeds (at 1219 cm−1). Results of the study suggested that the manufacturing of functional food products from seaweeds could be beneficial and may aid in social upliftment of cultivators/fishermen.
Highlights
Seaweeds are potential source of bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, polysaccharides, dietary fibre, ω-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorous [1]
Bioactive compounds extracted from seaweeds have many therapeutic properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity [2]. e proximate composition, nutrients, and bioactive compounds present in seaweeds depend on several factors such as species, oxygen concentration, salinity of water, climatic season, intensity of UV radiation, and area of production [3, 4]
Green (Ulva rigida) and brown (Sargassum wightii) seaweeds were obtained from the seaweed traders from Kanyakumari (8°05’02”N 77°32’46”E) Tamil Nadu, India, and Mandapam (9°17’ N and 79°11’ E), Tamil Nadu, India, in September 2018 with the help of scientists of the research institute, CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Mandapam, India
Summary
Seaweeds are potential source of bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, polysaccharides, dietary fibre, ω-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorous [1]. E proximate composition, nutrients, and bioactive compounds present in seaweeds depend on several factors such as species, oxygen concentration, salinity of water, climatic season, intensity of UV radiation, and area of production [3, 4]. Seaweeds growing under such harsh conditions generate several. Use of edible seaweeds in processed form is very scarce in India owing to palatability issues and unavailability of scientific data. Seaweeds can be processed to bring them into palatable form, fit for various food applications considering their abundant availability, and miniscule consumption in the Indian diet. Due to growing consumer demand for nutritious food, seaweed can be popularized within the masses after establishing a strong scientific backbone to its merits
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