Abstract

In order to promote the use of sub-Antarctic macroalgae as food, four species of marine macroalgae: Macrocystis pyrifera, Durvillaea antarctica, Pyropia columbina, and Callophyllis variegata were studied for their nutritional value. They were collected monthly between October and December 2012 throughout the Strait of Magallanes, sub-Antarctic Chile. The chemical composition, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins A and C, and the macronutrient, mineral, and fatty acid content were examined. Ash (15.1-34.1 %) and soluble fiber (26.5 to 40.3 %) were the most abundant in these species. Presence of protein was moderate (8.2-25.0 %), with red alga (C. variegata) having the highest value on dry weight (dw). All algal species had lipid contents of less than 5 % dw. Maximum carbohydrate content was observed in P. columbina (9.5 % dw). Potassium was the most abundant essential element found in M. pyrifera (8.51 % dw), while P. columbina was found to be richest in iron (305.5 +/- 5.5 mu g g(-1) dw) and C. variegata showed the highest contents of Cu (17.4 +/- 0.7 mu g g(-1) dw). The most abundant saturated fatty acids were palmitic (C16:0) and myristic acid (C14:0), with values ranging from 4.33 to 9.22 %. The most abundant monounsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (C18:1 omega 9). The highest levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid were observed for arachidonic (20:4 omega 6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 omega 3) or EPA.