Nutritional composition analysis of seaweed Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh.

Abstract

Abstract. The research aimed to determine the nutritional composition of seaweed Sargassum crassifolium J. Agardh, i.e., the concentration of protein, amino acids, mineral (ash), mineral elements (Ca, Fe, and P), vitamin C, vitamin A, lipid, fatty acids, and alginates. S. crassifolium is a species of brown seaweed consumed as a food source. However, it has not been optimally used because the nutritional composition information is not complete yet. The measurement of protein concentration was done according to the Lowry method, while amino acids concentration was measured using the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Mineral (ash) was measured by dry ash processing, and mineral elements of Ca, Fe, and P were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Vitamin C concentration was measured using the titration method, while vitamin A was measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Lipid was measured by extraction method using soxhlet, fatty acids by fatty acids methyl esters (FAMEs) method, and alginates were measured by extraction method. The results indicate that the thallus of S. crassifolium contains protein on an average of 5.19% (w/w), and 17 amino acids (in mmol amino acid/g wet weight) vary from 13.77 glutamic acids to 0.83 for hydroxylamine concentration. Mineral/ash content was 36.93% (w/w), Ca: 1540.66 mg/100 g, Fe: 132.65 mg/100 g, P: 474.03 mg/100 g, vitamin C: 49.01 mg/100 g, vitamin A: 489.11 mg RE/100 g, lipid: 1.63% (w/w), fatty acids concentrations were: 1.45%, 3.53%, 29.49%, 4.10%, 13.78%, 33.58%, 5.94% for lauric acid, meristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid subsequently. The concentration of alginates was 37.91% (w/w).