Health-promoting ingredients from four selected Azorean macroalgae

- Functional ingredients of selected Azorean macroalgae (SAM) are evaluated
- SAM are rich in MUFA, PUFA, EAA, phenolics, lipophilic antioxidants and energy
- SAM have healthy ω6/ω3 and h/H FA ratios and suitable Na/K and Ca/Mg ratios
- SAM have antioxidant properties, high amount of anti-aging AA and low Phe content
- Intake of SAM allied with pristine seawaters in Azores may improve human health

This study presents, for the first time, the nutritional and health promoting aspects of four selected Azorean macroalgae (Ulva compressa, Ulva rigida, Gelidium microdon and Pterocladiella capillacea) in terms of total lipids, fatty acids (FA) profile, n6/n3 and hypocholesterolemic (h)/hypercholesterolemic (H) FA ratios, minerals, total essential amino acids (AA), anti-ageing and anti-phenylketonuria AA content, coenzyme Q10, α-tocopherol, total phenolics, antioxidant properties and energy value, on a dry weight basis. The results revealed low lipid content (1.02-4.32%) but significant PUFA content (29.57-69.22% of total FA), suitable FA ratios (0.48-9.49 for n6/n3 and 1.26-4.22 for h/H), balanced macromineral ratios (0.27-1.91 for Na/K and 0.15-1.07 for Ca/Mg), appreciable amount of essential AA (45.27-58.13% of total AA), high amount of anti-ageing AA, low Phe content, coenzyme Q10 (1.25-8.27 μg/g), α-tocopherol (2.61-9.14 mg/100 g), high total phenolic content (27.70-55.07 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g extract), significant free radical scavenging activity (29.32-47.73%) and valuable energy content (6.80-9.80 kJ/g). A regular consumption of these algae either directly or through food supplements may improve human health or may have a protective effect on some diseases and ageing process. They can also be used for producing pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals with potential economic value.

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