Algae as a Food

Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, (SGBAU)
BOTANY
B.Sc. I (Sem- I)

Diversity & Applications of Microbes and Cryptogams
Unit-VI
Application of Microbes and Cryptogams

6.1. Economic Importance of Algae with special reference to Food
(Algae as a Food)
By
Avinash Darsimbe
Assistant Professor
Department of Botany
Shri Shivaji Science College, Amravati

1. B . Sc. I (Sem- I) BOTANY Diversity & Applications of Microbes and Cryptogams Unit-VI Application of Microbes and Cryptogams 6.1. Economic Importance of Algae with special reference to Food (Algae as a Food) By Avinash Darsimbe Assistant Professor Department of Botany Shri Shivaji Science College, A mravati

2. Algae as a Food Numerous cultures around the world consider algae as an important source of nourishment. Citizens living in European countries such as  Ireland ,  Scotland ,  France ,  Germany ,  Norway , and  Sweden , as well as populations living in North and South America, and Asian nations such as  China  and  Japan  use algae as a key ingredient in a number of local dishes. These meals can include algae as part of a salad, accompanying meat in a fried dish, as a topping on oatmeal, or even in liquid form as an extract in a nutritious smoothie.

3. Algae contains several healthy elements including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Not only is algae considered by many consumers worldwide to be a low cost source of protein, but it also contains a number of important minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, and zinc.

4. Foods which commonly contain algae include a variety of dairy products such as milk, ice cream, cheese, whipped topping, as well as syrup, icing, fruit juice, and even salad dressings. Brown algae, in particular, is used in order to stabilize, thicken, and emulsify numerous food products, while red algae is used in the preparation of various semi-solid products as wide-ranging as medicines, cosmetics, and in the production of a wide array of foods.

5. 1.  Chlorella Chlorella  is a unicellular alga which possesses a very high quality of food value. It is high in protein and other essential nutrients; when dried, it is about  45% protein ,  20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber , and 10% minerals and vitamins . Recently, chlorella is being tried on mass scale culturing for human consumption. It is used as  diet food , as it provides the highest levels of  dietary nucleic acids  in all foods.  Dietary nucleic acids  (e.g., RNA) are now recognized as powerful, natural substances that provide super nutrition, rejuvenate, heal, and help create optimum health. Researchers who’ve studied chlorella extensively say it’s nature’s  “Perfect Food”  (in fact, NASA studied it as a food for astronauts).

6. 2.  Porphyra  (A Red Alga) Porphyra  is a  cold water seaweed  that grows in cold, shallow seawater. It has  30-35% proteins, 40-45% carbohydrates  and a very high percentage of vitamins. In East Asia, it is used to produce the sea vegetable products such as  “ amanori ”  in Japan. The common preparation is known as  “Asakusa nori”   (Japanese) ,  Zakai , gim   (Korean)  and  zicai (Chinese) . The alga is sold and eaten together with rice. Most human cultures with access to  Porphyra  use it as a food or somehow in the diet, making it perhaps  the most domesticated  of the marine algae. There are considered to be  60  to  70 species  of  Porphyra  worldwide and seven around  Britain  and  Ireland  where it has been traditionally used to produce  edible sea vegetables  on the  Irish Sea coast .

7. 3. Palmaria palmata ( Dulse) It is  a red alga (Rhodophyta)  and also called  dulse, red dulse or sea lettuce flakes . It grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Dulse is a good source of minerals, being very high in  iron  and containing  all the trace elements  needed in human nutrition. Its vitamin content is also much higher than a vegetable such as spinach. It has high protein content ( more than 20% ) but lacks the essential amino acid b. Dulse  is a well-known  snack food . In  Nova Scotia  and  Maine ,  dried dulse  is often served as  a salty cocktail snack  in bars. It is eaten raw in  Ireland , like chewing tobacco, or is cooked with potatoes, in soups, and fish dishes. In present-day cuisine, dulse can be incorporated into bread, fish dishes, fish and vegetable soups, toasted and eaten as a snack, or fried crisp as a substitute for fried bacon.

8. 4.  Laminaria  (A Brown Alga) Laminaria  is a  kelp  that finds its place in the brown algae family.  Laminarian  species contain about  10% protein, 2% fat , and useful amounts of minerals and vitamins, though generally lower than those found in  “nori”.  The mineral constituents of  Laminaria  include  iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium , and  iron . The alga is commonly cultivated and grown on stones, cylinders, and ropes. Laminaria  species yields a food product known as  “Kombu” or “ Konbu ” .  Kombu  is used extensively in  Japanese cuisines  as one of the three main ingredients needed to make  dashi, a soup stock . It is also sold dried or pickled in vinegar.

9. 5.  Alaria  (A Brown Alga) Alaria   is a genus of brown alga comprising approximately 17 species. Members of the genus are dried and eaten as a food in  Western Europe, China, Korea, Japan, and South America . Alaria yields a product known as  “ Sarumen ”  in Japan.  Alaria esculenta , in particular, is an excellent source of protein and iodine.

10. 6.  Nostoc  (Blue-green Algae) Nostoc  is a genus of  cyanobacteria  found in various environments that form colonies composed of filaments in a gelatinous sheath. Containing  protein  and  vitamin C ,  Nostoc  species are cultivated and consumed as a foodstuff, primarily in  Asia .  Balls of Nostoc  (terrestrial species) are collected, boiled and consumed as food by the  Chinese  and the  South Americans .

11. 7.  Monostroma  (a green Alga) Monostroma  occurs naturally in the bays and gulfs of southern areas of Japan. It is a flat, leafy plant and only one cell thick. It contains  20% protein  on average and has a useful vitamin and mineral content. The seaweed is washed well  post-harvest . It is then either processed into sheets and dried, or simply dried and then boiled with sugar, soy sauce, and other ingredients to make  “nori-jam” .

12. 8.  Ulva  (a green Alga) Sea lettuce  is a thin, green seaweed, a species of  Ulva . It is collected from the wild and sometimes added to  Monostroma ,  Enteromorpha sp.  to create a food product called  “ aonori ”,  which enhances the taste of warm dishes like rice, soups, and salads. It has a higher protein content than the other two and is rich in iron.  Ulva lactuca   was formerly used in salad and soups in  Scotland .

13. 9.  Enteromorpha Enteromorpha  is cultivated and found in bays and river mouths around Japan. They are also found in many other parts of the world, including  Europe  and  North America . They contain about  20% protein  and are low in fat and sodium and high in iron and calcium. The seaweed can be lightly toasted to improve the flavor and powdered for use as a condiment on soups and foods, or it can be crushed into small pieces and used as a garnish.

14. 10.  Caulerpa racemose Caulerpa racemosa  is a species of edible green alga and is commonly known as  sea grapes.  It is found in many areas of shallow sea around the world. It is consumed widely in salads in  Japan, Fiji, the Philippines, and Thailand .  Caulerpa  is also eaten by local fishermen in  Malaysia  and  Indonesia . This alga is rich in fiber , proteins, minerals ( calcium and magnesium ),  folic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B1  while also being low in fat.

15. 11.   Durvillaea antarctica It is a large, robust bull kelp species and the dominant seaweed in southern  New Zealand  and  Chile . In  Chilean cuisine , the stem and holdfast of  Durvillaea , known as  hulte  is used for different recipes, like salads and stews. The  Mapuche  indigenous people refer to it as  collofe .