Chemical, Nutrient and Physicochemical Properties of Brown Seaweed, Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh (Phaeophyceae) Collected from Port Dickson, Peninsular Malaysia

Recent increased interest in seaweed is motivated by attention generated in their bioactive components that have potential applications in the functional food and nutraceutical industries. In the present study, nutritional composition, metabolite profiles, phytochemical screening and physicochemical properties of freeze-dried brown seaweed, Sargassum polycystum were evaluated. Results showed that the S. polycystum had protein content of 8.65 +/- 1.06%, lipid of 3.42 +/- 0.01%, carbohydrate of 36.55 +/- 1.09% and total dietary fibre content of 2.75 +/- 0.58% on dry weight basis. The mineral content of S. polycystum including Na, K, Ca, Mg Fe, Se and Mn were 8876.45 +/- 0.47, 1711.05 +/- 0.07, 1079.75 +/- 0.30, 213.85 +/- 0.02, 277.6 +/- 0.12, 4.70 +/- 0.00 and 4.45 +/- 0.00 mg 100/g DW, respectively. Total carotenoid, chlorophyll a and b content in S. polycystum were detected at 45.28 +/- 1.77, 141.98 +/- 1.18 and 111.29 mu g/g respectively. The total amino acid content was 74.90 +/- 1.45%. The study revealed various secondary metabolites and major constituents of S. polycystum fibre to include fucose, mannose, galactose, xylose and rhamnose. The metabolites extracted from the seaweeds comprised n-hexadecanoic acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester, benzenepropanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxy- methyl ester, 1-dodecanol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-, which were the most abundant. The physicochemical properties of S. polycystum such as water-holding and swelling capacity were comparable to several commercial fibre-rich products. In conclusion, results of this study indicate that S. polycystum is a potential candidate as functional food sources for human consumption and its cultivation needs to be encouraged.