The proximate composition, fatty acids, minerals and chlorophyll-a content of three groups of seaweed [Green (Ulva lactuca, Enthromorpha intestinalis); Brown (Sargassum illicifolium, Colpomenia sinuosa) and Red (Hypnea valentiea, and Gracilaria corticata)] collected from the Persian Gulf in Iran, for the first time, was investigated. Results showed that seaweeds were relatively high in carbohydrate [31.0% (H. valentiea)-59.0% (U. lactuca)] and ash [12.2% (U. lactuca)-29.9% (S. illicifolium)], but low in lipid [1.5% (C. sinuosa)-3.6% (U. lactuca)]. Moreover, the lipid content in the green algae was significantly higher than both in the red and brown algae (P<0.05). Similarly, the protein content of both red and green algae were significantly higher than the brown algae (P<0.05), and ranged from 18.3% (G. corticata) to 9.0% (C. sinuosa). Of twenty fatty acids identified; Palmitic acid (37.9-59.8%), oleic acid (3.5-28.6%), myristic acid (4.5-12.4%) and linolenic acid (0.3-8.4%) were the predominant fatty acids. Besides, the red and green algae had the highest proportion of SFAs, and brown and red algae had highest proportion of MUFAs and PUFAs respectively. The minerals composition were found in the sequence of K>Mg>Fe>Zn>Mn>Cu>Co.
Keywords: seaweed, proximate composition, fatty acids, minerals, Persian Gulf
1. Introduction
The use of seaweeds as a food source not only is very rare in Iran but extensive culture of seaweeds also has not started. Considering the great potential for the extensive culture of seaweeds along the coastal waters of the Persian Gulf, it seems that assay of biochemical composition of seaweeds is necessary to survey their potential use as food sources for animals and industrial applications. The predominan...
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... corticata (J. Agardh) J. Agardh and Hypnea valentiea (Turner) Montagne] were collected from the northern coast of the Persian Gulf in Iran for the analyses in the present study. Immediately after collection, the samples were preparatory cleaned and washed with seawater to remove sand, debris, epiphytes and other extraneous matter attached to the thalli and then transported to the laboratory. At the same time, in the laboratory the samples were sorted and then cleaned and thoroughly rinsed with distilled water several times to remove all unpleasant materials from the surface of the sample. Then, the samples were dried completely with freeze dryer (ZirBus, VaCo 5; GERMANY), and ground into a fine powder for 5 min using a coffee grinder and finally passed through a 0.5 mm sieve and stored in dark labeled glass jars in a refrigerator at 4 °C until biochemical analysis.
The major composition of the ocean chemistry that is affected by atmospheric CO2 are understood for the most part and can be calculated accurately. However there is much uncertainty of the biological effects caused by ocean acidification and how it will vary amongst organisms; some may cope better than others. Even though the research on ocean acidification is still very young, there is already evidence of biological impacts due to changes in the chemistry of the ocean. The greatest evidence of the impactions of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems can be seen in experiments on calcifying organisms. When seawater is acidified to various amounts the formation and dissolution of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons in marine organisms such as reef-building corals, oysters and mussels, and phytoplankton and zooplankton which for the base for marine food webs (“Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy…”,
The understanding of Saballaria cementarium's diet has not been thoroughly examined in much detail. Qian and Chia (1990) examined the role of detritus, form of eelgrass, as a food source for developing larvae of the organism. It is not known whether they are food limited. The experiment was conducted to reveal some facts about the feeding habits of the larvae in determining the development and growth of it. The invertebrate larvae's primary food source comes from the phytoplankton that is found in abundance at the bottom of the sea floor. The larvae fed with detritus were compared with those fed on equal concentrations of phytoplankton. Other tests were conducted to compare the degrees of survivorship among the larvae using varying concentrations of phytoplankton. Higher concentrations of phytoplankton, consumed by the larvae, yielded
Few members of the sedge family hold economic importance as crop plants, but throughout the world these plants hold great regional importance in weaving mats, baskets, screens, and even sandals (3). Though not normally grown for crops sedges do hold economic importance to agriculture. A substantial amount of sedges are noxious weeds, invading crop fields in all climates of the world. These include species that invade rice paddies, grazing pastures, as well as others (3.) Sedges do however have a considerable amount of ecological importance. They are of extreme importance to primary production as well as an integral part of the hydrologic cycle (3.) C. papyrus is an aquatic plant that has woody, bluntly triangular stems and grows up to about 15 feet in quietly flowing water up to three feet deep and the stem can grow up to six centimeters in width near the top (4). While the bottom portion of the stem can be up to six inches in width (7). The stem has scattered vascular bundles and no inner pith, like other typical monocots. The stem is composed of cellulose (54-68%) and lignin (24-32%), this helps to provide support for the stem and subsequently helps maintain the plant structure. There are also air ducts in the stem to help the plant stay buoyant; this is an important adaptation since C. papyrus grows in wet conditions (1). The roots, which are rhizomes, spread over the water, forming floating mat. These mats can sometimes break apart allowing the plant to colonize new areas in rivers and lakes. This can sometimes cause problems for shipping vessel (1).
There is a lot of talk about the world’s source of energy going on these days and people are starting to ask questions about our sources of energy. Is it environmentally friendly? Does it make sense economically? For years the world has been highly dependent on fossil fuels that are extracted from the ground. These fuels power things from power plants, cars, plains, and many of the other modern conveniences that we enjoy. There is a lot of energy expended in the extraction and transport of these fuels as well as many negative environmental impacts. Scientists are busy finding alternative ways to power our world that are cost efficient and ecofriendly. One idea that is being explored as an effective replacement is producing oil from algae. Algae have a high content of oil, about 50 percent of its weight, and science is finding a way to use it as a clean fuel source.
Despite the significant differences in the number of volatiles extracted during three harvesting seasons, there was an agreement in the most abundant volatiles which were ethyl esters (ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl benzoate) and 3-methylbutyl esters (3-methylbutyl-2-methylbutanoate, 3-methylbutyl-3-methyl butanoate, 3-methylbutyl hexanoate, and 3-methyl-butyl benzoate). Thus a typical sea buckthorn juice sample will generate a similar fingerprint of volatiles regardless of variety, (figure 2 and 3). However, contradictory results were seen in 2012 Hergo whereby all the abundant 3-methylbutyl esters were all absent and 3-methylbutyl-2-methylbutanoate, 3-methylbutyl-3-methyl butanoate were absent in 2013 samples. In 2012 Frugana ethyl 2-methylbutanoate 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl benzoate, ethyl decanoate were absent and both in 2012/13 ethyl dodecanoate was absent. Biosynthetic differences in the volatile profile were more noticea...
In conclusion, E. cava is a very interesting resource, due to the presence of unique phlorotannin derivatives with special bioactivities including ACE inhibitory activity. Ethanol enhances the extraction of phlorotannins specially dieckol from the brown seaweed E. cava. By contrast, in this study phloroglucinol derivative dieckol exhibited the strongest activity against ACE. With the results of this study we can suggest that the brown seaweed E. cava could be used in development of promising and potential functional food products. Moreover, it is expected that these findings will contribute to developing interests in basic research and potential applications of the phlorotannins in the relevant fields.
Istiblennius lineatus (Rockskipper Blenny) will be collected from three different tide pools across the island of Mo’orea, French Polynesia in May 2017. Fish will be caught with nets and stored in tanks at UNC Berkley’s Gump Field Station before transport back to Atlanta for use in the lab manipulative portion. Two algal species that The Rockskipper Blenny uses as food sources will also be collected. The algae species collected will be the same for each of the three tide pools and are preferably from two different families of algae. Initial samples from each fish and alga, as well as water samples will be taken in field for 16s gene sequencing to determine the microbial composition. Samples will be stored in RNA and frozen prior to DNA extraction and sequencing. Water samples will be stored in ethanol. The initial fish gut and algae sample will be used to compare the effect of isolation on fish gut microbiome. The water sample will be used to determine differences in water microbial composition between tide pool
Furthermore, the author argues that because of ecosystem disturbance, main food resource of sea cow such
Atlantic cod has played and continues to play an important role in human society; however, the species’ survival is dependent upon the maintenance of seagrass. A main issue related to the massive decline in this species is attributed to the disappearance of large areas of Zostera marina (Z. marina) seagrass (30 000 km2 in twenty years). The meadow provides an abundance of nutrients annually and contributes many liters of oxygen daily; the area can even take in ten times the amount of carbon dioxide as a section of Amazon rainforest of equivalent size.
Recently, scientists have been noticing a quite thing occurring in the ocean that had never been seen before. Scientists have been recently finding a new type of algae in the ocean that does not have very great effects on the environment. Many say that this alga is probably a type of algae that is similar to the ones that grew millions of years ago; this alga is toxic though. It releases terrible pungent odors that can affect health. This algae was first discovered in Australia by fisherman and is now ruining Australian fishing industries by taking over the ocean. Scientist Judith O’Neil from the University of Queensland was the first scientist to discover the origins of this toxic algae. It has been considered a fireweed since it has severely affected ecosystems all over the ocean and has been dominating. However this is not the only primitive species if ocean plant taking over rapidly now. It has been stated that, “Evolution is in reverse” (Kenneth R. Weiss from the Los Angeles Times). Now ancient species of sea life are thriving while more complex organisms and new species aren’t thriving in our oceans. That situation is bad since they are taking over ecosystems completely blocking animals from sunlight, space, and any other necessities. There have also been other species that are now plaguing our oceans such as jellyfish, and other species of algae. These organisms can definitely lead to negative impacts on us and the ocean’s vast ecosystems.
Unfortunately, our fish supply is becoming more and more contaminated with pollutants and toxins like mercury, PCBs, dioxins, heavy metals and radioactive poisons. A solution to consider is getting your animal-based Omega-3 fats from krill oil or krill oil supplements, not only because of the superior efficacy, oxidation protection and absorption, but also because krill is a completely sustainable and environmentally friendly resource.
Different pollutants cause different things to happen to plants. Sometimes, water pollution causes an explosion of new plant growth by providing necessary nutrients and food. If there is too much of one species, this can harm or kill plants by changing their growing conditions, such as raising or lowering the environment’s acidity. Plants must take in nutrients from the surrounding environment in order to grow. Nitrogen and phosphorus, in particular, help a plant’s growth because they are important in photosynthesis. This is why they are common ingredients in plant fertilizers. When runoff from farms pollute waterways with nitrogen and fertilizers rich with phosphorus, the water enriched with nutrients often have stunts of growth. Sometimes too much growth can be harmful, as when plant-like algae bloom in polluted waters and create oxygen-depleted dead zones. One solution to this issue is planting seaweed farms in areas that get alot of runoff from farms. This is because seaweed can soak up the excess nutrients and be harvested for people to eat. Marine debris is garbage that ends up in the ocean. Plastic debris that builds up at or near the water’s surface blocks sunlight from fully reaching plants that rely on sunlight to move along the photosynthesis process. By blocking sunlight, marine debris prevent plants from creating glucose at full capacity, which stunts their growth. When chemical pollutants
Seagrass is not just a food source for micro species, but also macro species such as manatees, turtles, dolphins and dugongs (Yamada and Kumagai 2012). These marine organisms are all supported directly and indirectly by seagrasses, with some entirely dependent on it. Seagrass is often underestimated in its significance as the vast role that it plays in the oceans ecosystem is not fully understood. ...
What if the world could find a way to dispose of sewage, produce food, and purify bodies of water at the same time? The Aztecs have proven that this idea is possible. Lake Texcoco flowed near the Aztec civilization. The Aztecs disposed of their waste in the lake. The human waste added nitrogen to the water. The nitrogen helped algae to grow, and then the algae performed photosynthesis. Photosynthesis gives off oxygen, and oxygen purifies polluted water. The Aztec's also abstracted the algae from the lake and used it for food. Certain types of algae like red and green algae are edible. Many cultures have eaten seaweed for centuries. Wendy O'Leary Dunn states, "They think of seaweed as a vegetable and eat it as we eat broccoli or spinach" (18). Therefore, when humans dispose of their waste in bodies of water, they help algae grow. Then, the algae cleans the water and they can eat the algae.
The Land of the Rising Sun, Japan, is an island located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Surrounded by water, this archipelago is nearly 71% mountainous. The climate of Japan is fairly consistent creating a long growing season. Because of these specific geographic features, Japan’s culture has been impacted greatly. One of the largest sources of protein, for the Japanese, is fish. This source of protein is gained through the help of specific geographic features. As well as their diet, their source of relaxation and tranquility is made possible. Finally, a large growing season is promising as well.