Abstract:
Globalization and climate change are both contributing to an increase in the number of potentially invasive algae in coastal areas. In terms of biodiversity and financial losses, the invasiveness of algae has become a significant issue in Orbetello Lagoon. Indeed, studies from the Tuscany Regional Agency for Environmental Protection show that the reduction in dissolved oxygen caused by algal diffusion is detrimental to fisheries and biodiversity. Considering that wakame and numerous other potentially invasive seaweeds are consumed as food in Asia, we assess the nutritional and nutraceutical qualities of two potentially invasive seaweeds: Valonia aegagrophila and Chaetomorpha linum. We found that both algae are a valuable source of proteins and essential amino acids. Even if the fat content accounts for less than 2% of the dried weight, its quality is high, due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids. Both algae are rich in antioxidants pigments and polyphenols, which can be exploited as nutraceuticals. Most importantly, human gastrointestinal digestion increased the quantity of polyphenols and originated secondary metabolites with ACE inhibitory activity. Taken together, our data strongly promote the use of Valonia aegagrophila and Chaetomorpha linum as functional foods, with possible application in the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
摘要:
全球化和气候变化都导致沿海地区潜在入侵藻类数量的增加。就生物多样性和经济损失而言,藻类的入侵已成为Orbetello泻湖的重要问题。的确,托斯卡纳地区环境保护局的研究表明,藻类扩散导致的溶解氧减少对渔业和生物多样性有害。考虑到裙带菜和许多其他潜在的入侵海藻在亚洲被用作食物,我们评估了两种潜在侵入性海藻的营养和营养品质:Valoniaaegagrophila和Chaetomormalinum。我们发现两种藻类都是蛋白质和必需氨基酸的宝贵来源。即使脂肪含量占干重的2%以下,它的质量很高,由于不饱和脂肪酸的存在。两种藻类都富含抗氧化剂色素和多酚,可以用作营养品。最重要的是,人的胃肠道消化增加了多酚的数量,并产生了具有ACE抑制活性的次级代谢产物。一起来看,我们的数据强烈促进了Valoniaaegagrophila和Chaetomorphalinum作为功能性食品的使用,可能用于治疗高血压和心血管疾病。