Resumen de Nutritional and bioactive compounds of commercialized algae powders used as food supplements
Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández, Noelia Castillejo Montoya, María del M. Carrión Monteagudo, Francisco Artés Hernández, Francisco Artés Calero
The main nutritional/bioactive compounds (protein; aminoacids, AA; fucose; minerals; vitamins B12 and C; and total phenolic content, TPC) of nine commercial algae powders, used as food supplements, were studied. Undaria pinnatifida showed the highest protein/aminoacid contents (51.6/54.4 g 100 g–1). Among brown macroalgae, Himanthalia elongata showed the highest fucose content (26.3 g kg−1) followed by Laminaria ochroleuca (22.5 g kg−1). Mineral contents of 15–24% were observed in the algae, being particularly excellent sources of iodine (69.0–472.0 mg kg−1). Porphyra spp. and Palmaria palmata showed the highest vitamin B12 contents (667–674 µg kg−1). Vitamin C ranged among 490.4–711.8 mg kg–1. H. elongata showed the highest total phenolic content (14.0 g kg–1). In conclusion, the studied algae are excellent sources of protein, AA, minerals, vitamin C and some of them presented particularly high vitamin B12 and fucose contents, which may have a potential use as food supplements.
