Abstract
Grateloupia turuturu Yamada, 1941, is a red seaweed widely used for food in Japan and Korea which was recorded on the Atlantic Coast of Europe about twenty years ago. This seaweed presents eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in its lipid fraction, a feature that sparked the interest on its potential applications. In seaweeds, PUFAs are mostly esterified to polar lipids, emerging as healthy phytochemicals. However, to date, these biomolecules are still unknown for G. turuturu. The present work aimed to identify the polar lipid profile of G. turuturu, using modern lipidomics approaches based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The health benefits of polar lipids were identified by health lipid indices and the assessment of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The polar lipids profile identified from G. turuturu included 205 lipid species distributed over glycolipids, phospholipids, betaine lipids and phosphosphingolipids, which featured a high number of lipid species with EPA and PUFAs. The nutritional value of G. turuturu has been shown by its protein content, fatty acyl composition and health lipid indices, thus confirming G. turuturu as an alternative source of protein and lipids. Some of the lipid species assigned were associated to biological activity, as polar lipid extracts showed antioxidant activity evidenced by free radical scavenging potential for the 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS●+) radical (IC50 ca. 130.4 μg mL−1) and for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH●) radical (IC25 ca. 129.1 μg mL−1) and anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme (IC50 ca. 33 µg mL−1). Both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were detected using a low concentration of extracts. This integrative approach contributes to increase the knowledge of G. turuturu as a species capable of providing nutrients and bioactive molecules with potential applications in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.
Highlights
Seaweeds play a central role in oceans food webs, as habitats for marine species that support biodiversity and as bioremediators through nutrient assimilation from seawater, all these features granted them a renewed attention in the blue bioeconomy [1,2,3]
In order to increase our knowledge of this seaweed, in the present study, we evaluated the nutritional value of G. turuturu by performing a thorough characterization of the polar lipidome using liquid chromatography (LC)–mass spectrometry (MS) and fatty acid profiling using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS), followed by calculation of health lipid indices
Grateloupia turuturu is widely consumed in Asia [39] and its nutritional value is evidenced by the high proportion of proteins and n-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5, n-3) that it displays [13,40,41]
Summary
Seaweeds play a central role in oceans food webs, as habitats for marine species that support biodiversity and as bioremediators through nutrient assimilation from seawater, all these features granted them a renewed attention in the blue bioeconomy [1,2,3]. Beyond the context of natural systems, seaweeds have been traditionally used as food in Asian countries and, in recent decades, the use of seaweeds as food has been increasing in the western world [4]. Grateloupia turuturu Yamada, 1941 ( reported in the literature as G. doryphora), is a red seaweed native to Japan and Korea where it is traditionally used as food and a source of carrageenan-agar polymers [8]. In recent decades, this seaweed was recorded on the Atlantic Coast of Europe [9], likely originating from aquaculture activities related to oyster farming and/or global shipping [10].
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