Fatty acid profile and metal composition of seaweeds from three locations of the continental shelf of Kerala coast, India

Abstract

The fatty acid contents, metals, and other elemental composition of 25 seaweed species from three heterogeneous locations of the Kerala coast were studied. The lipids (2.65%–13.6%), proteins (16.6–213.4 mg/g) and carbohydrate content (11.24–59.4 mg/g) varied significantly among the species. Most of the seaweeds were dominated by linolenic acid (12.44–82.7%) and oleic acid (1.68–52.7%) of their total fatty acids. The lower concentrations of toxic metals suggest the safety of seaweed for its use as food or nutraceutical ingredient. The concentration of organic elements and metals were significantly varied among species. A principal component analysis demonstrated the site-wise distribution of species and composition of fatty acids, metals and elements. Moreover, Ward’s hierarchical cluster analysis classified all species into distinct groups. These results are indicative of the nutritional status of seaweeds, which can be employed as value-added inputs for various industries.