Nutritional composition of edible seaweed Gracilaria changgi

Gracilaria changgi, an edible seaweed was analyzed to determine its proximate chemical composition, mineral elements, vitamin C, β-carotene, free fatty acid and amino acid contents. G. changgi showed vitamin A activity of 865 μg rectinol equivalents/100 g sample. It contained a higher composition of unsaturated fatty acids (74%), mainly the omega fatty acids and 26% of saturated fatty acids (mainly palmitic acid) and also relatively high levels of calcium and iron. Major amino acid components are glycine, arginine, alanine and glutamic acid. Among the essential amino acids assayed, lysine with a chemical score of 53% appeared to be the most limiting when compared with the essential amino acid pattern of egg protein. This study was conducted to create a nutritional data for G. changgi in order to popularize its consumption and utilization in Malaysia. Comparisons to corresponding nutrient values in several commonly consumed local vegetables were also made.

[1]  K. Hori,et al.  Seaweed: Chemical composition and potential food uses , 1989 .

[2]  J. Mclachlan,et al.  Porphyra linearis Grev. -an edible species of Nori from Nova Soctia , 1971 .

[3]  S. Funge‐Smith,et al.  Macroalgae in aquaculture: an overview and their possible roles in shrimp culture. , 1993 .

[4]  M. Miric,et al.  Composition of lipids and proteins of several species of molluscs, marine and terrestrial, from the Adriatic Sea and Serbia , 1991 .

[5]  J. Fleurence,et al.  Seaweed in food products: biochemical and nutritional aspects , 1993 .

[6]  E. Tee,et al.  Carotenoid composition and content of Malaysian vegetables and fruits by the AOAC and HPLC methods , 1991 .

[7]  W. Horwitz.  Official Methods of Analysis , 1980 .

[8]  K. Bird,et al.  Effects of aeration period on the productivity and agar quality of Gracilaria sp. , 1987 .

[9]  M. Doty,et al.  A review of Gracilaria farming , 1989 .

[10]  M. Glicksman.  Utilization of seaweed hydrocolloids in the food industry , 1987 .

[11]  S. K. Duggal,et al.  Comparative nutritive value and amino acid content of triticale, wheat, and rye. , 1978, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[12]  K. Scott,et al.  Development and evaluation of an HPLC method for the analysis of carotenoids in foods, and the measurement of the carotenoid content of vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in the UK , 1995 .

[13]  M. Friedlander,et al.  FATTY ACID DISTRIBUTION AMONG SOME RED ALGAL MACROPHYTES 1 , 1992 .

[14]  B. Bidlingmeyer,et al.  Rapid analysis of amino acids using pre-column derivatization. , 1984, Journal of chromatography.

[15]  A. Hurtado-Ponce,et al.  Physical Properties of Agar Gel from Gracilaria (Rhodophyta) of the Philippines , 1988 .