In this study, we analyzed the compositional characteristics of Melosira nummuloides mass-cultured using Jeju lava seawater. M. nummuloides showed the highest growth rate when cultured for 14 days at 17-20℃ and 15,000 lx. Proximate composition of ra...
In this study, we analyzed the compositional characteristics of Melosira nummuloides mass-cultured using Jeju lava seawater. M. nummuloides showed the highest growth rate when cultured for 14 days at 17-20℃ and 15,000 lx. Proximate composition of raw-material (RM) and freeze-dried M. nummuloides (FM) showed high ash content (65-72%), while ethanol-extracted M. nummuloides (EM) had low ash and high lipid contents. The predominantly occurring mineral, Si, was 334 g/kg in RM and 269 g/kg in FM, but EM contained only 1.97 g/kg. The ratio of essential amino acids was similar in RM (38.93%) and FM (36.89%) lower in EM (17.83%), but branched chain amino acids required for muscle metabolism was high (63.40%). The polyunsaturated fatty acids of EM (34.74%) was 11% more than that in RM (23.81%), and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids was 1:3.6. Furthermore, the concentration of total chlorophyll was higher by 5.15 times (62.32 mg/g) and that of fucoxanthin by 7.06 times (11.02 mg/g) in EM than in RM (12.11, 1.56 mg/g, respectively). The mass cultivation and filtration of M. nummuloides using lava seawater has high prospects of commercialization as a competitive bio silica, cosmetic and healthy functional food material.