Seaweeds as Valuable Sources of Essential Fatty Acids for Human Nutrition

Abstract

The overexploitation of terrestrial habitats, combined with the ever-growing demand for food, has led to the search for alternative food sources. The importance of seaweeds as food sources has been growing, and their potential as sources of fatty acids (FA) make seaweeds an interesting feedstock for the food and nutraceutical industries. The aim of this study is to assess the potential of five red seaweeds (<i>Asparagospis armata</i>, <i>Calliblepharis jubata</i>, <i>Chondracanthus teedei</i> var. <i>lusitanicus</i>, <i>Gracilaria gracilis</i>, and <i>Grateloupia turuturu</i>) and three brown seaweeds (<i>Colpomenia peregrina</i>, <i>Sargassum muticum</i> and <i>Undaria pinnatifida</i>), harvested in central Portugal, as effective sources of essential FA for food or as dietary supplements. FA were extracted from the biomass, transmethylated to methyl esters, and analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. <i>G. gracilis</i> presented the highest content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (41.49 mg·g^-1), whereas <i>C. jubata</i> exhibited the highest content of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) (28.56 mg·g^-1); the three <i>G. turuturu</i> life cycle stages presented prominent SFA and HUFA contents. Omega-6/omega-3 ratios were assessed and, in combination with PUFA+HUFA/SFA ratios, it is suggested that <i>C. jubata</i> and <i>U. pinnatifida</i> may be the algae with highest nutraceutical potential, promoting health benefits and contributing to a balanced dietary intake of fatty acids.