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Overview of Sea Vegetable Chemical Composition
Bulletin # 1-0202
Content by Great SeaVegetables (©2001) c/o
david@surialink.com |
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Seavegetables
are algae that come mainly from marine environments but also come from
freshwater environments. They are distributed
along the coasts of all oceans. They include micro
algae [e.g. Spirulina, Chlorella, Dunaliella, etc.] and
macro
algae [Green, Red & Brown]. Their sizes range from microscopic to over 25 m.
They have no
defined structures such as those typical of land plants [e.g. roots, trunk,
leaves] so each
cell exchanges nutrients with the seawater. Most are attached to substrates
but some are free-floating [e.g. Sargasso Sea]. Sea vegetables became adapted
to the ocea by producing unique chemical compounds not found in land plants or
animals. Some of these compounds are bioactive with terrestrial plants or
animals. |
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General composition:
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| MACRO
COMPONENTS
|
|
Proteins:
up to
40 % |
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Lipids: up to 5
%, generally about 2%, high in PUFA |
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Carbohydrates: Soluble fiber [agar, carrageenan & alginate] up
to 50 % |
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Insoluble fiber: [cellulose, xylans & others] 2
to 8 % |
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Oligosaccharides, sugars & sugar alcohols: up to 20% |
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Minerals: up to
36 % – Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Na, K, & Cl.
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|
| MICRO
COMPONENTS
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Essential oligoelements:
Zn, Cu, Mn, I, Se, Mo & Cr |
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Free Amino Acids: All essential AA generally present |
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Vitamins: A, B
complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6,
B12, & Folic Acid), C, & E |
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Carotenoids: several present
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Sea Vegetables Comparative Composition
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LAMINARIA
American
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LAMINARIA
Japanese
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GRACILARIA
|
ULVA
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MACRO
COMPONENTS/100g
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Proteins g
|
16
|
19
|
11
|
24
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Lipids g
|
02
|
04
|
03
|
01
|
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Carbohydrates g
|
39
|
56
|
54
|
47
|
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Total
ash g
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n
d
|
28
|
17
|
14
|
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Energy cal
|
240
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n
d
|
191
|
213
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MINERALS/100 g
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Sodium mg
|
4,460
|
3,100
|
5,340
|
3,420
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Potassium mg
|
11,200
|
12,680
|
n
d
|
n
d
|
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Calcium mg
|
940
|
880
|
4,100
|
730
|
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Magnesium mg
|
900
|
760
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n
d
|
n
d
|
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Phosphorus mg
|
425
|
220
|
6,000
|
n
d
|
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Iron
mg
|
42.6
|
43
|
21.8
|
87
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OLIGOELEMENTS/100 g
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|
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Iodine mg
|
144.0
|
670
|
31
|
26
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Copper mg
|
0.2
|
0.2
|
0.8
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n
d
|
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Manganese mg
|
1.2
|
0.4
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n
d
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n
d
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Chromium mg
|
0.2
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n
d
|
0.6
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n
d
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Zinc
mg
|
2.9
|
0.1
|
4.1
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n
d
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VITAMINS/100 g
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A
Retinal I U
|
560
|
430
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n
d
|
960
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B1
Thiamin
mg
|
0.6
|
0.1
|
0.4
|
0.06
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B2
Riboflavin mg
|
2.5
|
0.5
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0.4
|
0.03
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B3
Niacin mg
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3.6
|
1.6
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n
d
|
8.0
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B6
Pyridoxine mg
|
8.6
|
0.3
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n
d
|
n
a
|
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B12
Cobalamin mg
|
2.6
|
3.0
|
14.4
|
6.3
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Folic
Acid Pteroylglutamic acid
mg
|
n
d
|
0.1
|
2.8
|
11.8
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C
Ascorbic acid mg
|
4.2
|
28
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1.1
|
10.0
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E
Tocopherol I U
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2.7
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n
d
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n
d
|
n
d
|
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Carbohydrate Composition
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RED
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GREEN
|
BROWN
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Insoluble
Fibers
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Cellulose
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Cellulose
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Cellulose
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Xylans
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Xylans
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Mannans
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Mannans
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Soluble
Fibers
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Agar
|
Hetero-complex
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Alginate
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Carrageenans
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Charged/neutral
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Fucoidan
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Carragars
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Sulfated
Xylans
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Others
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Storage
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Floridean
starch
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Starch
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Laminaran
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Low
Mol. Weight
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Floridoside
|
?
? ?
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Mannitol
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Iso-Floridoside
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Sorbitol
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Protein Composition
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RED
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GREEN
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BROWN
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ovalbumin
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Porphyra
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Ulva
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Undaria
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Tryptophan
|
1.3 |
0.3
|
0.8
|
1.0
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Lysine
|
4.5 |
4.5
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4.3
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7.7
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Histidine
|
1.4
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4.0
|
2.7
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4.1
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Arginine
|
16.4
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14.9
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7.5
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11.7
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