Biochemical Composition of Some Seaweed From Hurghada Coastal Along Red Sea Coastal , Egypt

Variations in protein, carbohydrate, lipid, ash, moisture, fatty acids, amino acids, β-carotene and total phenolic compounds content of the seaweeds Ceramium rubrum, Sargassum vulgare, Sargassum fusiforme and Padina pavonia were studied. C. rubrum characterized by the highest protein content, while the highest lipid and carbohydrates contain was observed in S. vulgare. The highest concentration of essential amino acid and β-carotene were observed in P. pavonia. S. fusiforme characterized by high concentration of total phenolic compound and total unsaturated fatty acids. Index Term-Seaweeds, Protein, Carbohydrates, Lipid, Fatty acid, β-carotene, Total phenol 1.0 INTRODUCTION Seaweeds have been used since ancient times food, fodder and fertilizer and as source of medicinal drugs. Seaweeds are one of the commercially important marine living and renewable resources. Variability in chemical components and growth of algae may be inter specific, intra-annual or inter-annual. Certain seaweeds contain significant quantities of protein, lipids, minerals and vitamins, w h i l e although nutrient contents vary with species, geographical location, season and temperature (Haroon 2000). Protein, carbohydrates and Lipids, are the most important biochemical components of algae. A few studies were done on fatty acids of microalgae and seaweeds. Macroalgal biomass can store large amounts of oil which can be exploited for the production of biodiesel John and Anisha (2011). Seaweeds belonging to the Rhodophyta possess high levels of proteins (10–30% DW) (Darcy-Vrillon 1993). In some red seaweed, such as Palmaria and Porphyra tenera, the protein contents are 35 and 47% DW, respectively. These levels are even comparable to that of the soybeans (35% DW). Some evidences suggest that fatty acids and sterol composition may be useful for taxonomic purposes (Herbreteau et al. 1997). Rhodophyta are characterized by high content of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. Other abundant fatty acids in this class are palmitic and oleic acids. The amino a c i d s composition in free or bound form has been studied in several species of marine algae (Qasim 1991), whereas pronounced differences were observed in protein and amino acids between different algal groups. Carotenoids are an important group of natural pigment with specific applications as colourants, feed supplements, nutraceuticals, and medicine, cosmetic and biotechnological purposes. Despite the avail ability of a variety of natural and synthetic carotenoids, only a few have been exploited commercially, including b -carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, lutein and capxanthin (Bhosale 2004). The βcarotene accumulation and the rate of synthesis depend on certain environmental parameters (Shariati and Hadi 2011). Antioxidants in particular carotenoids, help to prevent the free radicals damage associated with the aging process itself. The review by the National research council (NRC 1982) concluded “the epidemiological evidences sufficient to suggest that food rich in carotenes or vitamin A are associated with a reduced risk of cancer”. Thus foods rich in carotenoids in this case β-carotene may not only be able to prevent but also reverse cancers. Phenolic compound are one of the most abundant class of phytochemicals present in algae. Among natural antioxidants, phenolic antioxidants are commonly found in plants, including seaweeds. Presence of phenolic compounds in any medicinal preparation may attribute to various medicinal properties, earlier many algae have been reported to possess a variety of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties (Song el al. 2003). Phenolic compounds have been reported to have several biological effects including antioxidant,antiapoptosis, anti-aging, anti carcinogen and have been highly considered for their important dietary roles as antioxidant and chemoprotective agents. The aim of this work is to investigate the biochemical composition (in protein, carbohydrate, lipid, ash, moisture, fatty acids, amino acids, β-carotene and total phenolic compounds) in Ceramium rubrum, Sargassum vulgare, Sargassum fusiforme and Padina pavonia International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences IJBAS-IJENS Vol:14 No:01 3