Biochemical Composition and Toxicity Assessment of Seaweeds from the Algerian Coast: Implications for Human Consumption and Marine Pollution

Biochemical Composition and Toxicity Assessment of Seaweeds from the Algerian Coast: Implications for Human Consumption and Marine Pollution | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Biochemical Composition and Toxicity Assessment of Seaweeds from the Algerian Coast: Implications for Human Consumption and Marine Pollution Lila Ousmer, Zahia Madani, Mohammed Abdullah Dahim, Walid Boussebaa, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3924281/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Seaweeds are widely used as food and natural remedies among the Asian population. In this study, the biochemical composition of Cystoseeira amentacea , Cystoseira sedoides , and Sargassum vulgare from the Algerian coast was evaluated. The results indicated that the protein content ranged from 8.62–9.56%, whereas the lipid content varied from 0.77 to 2.35%. The most prevalent unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (14.47–18.64%). The seaweeds contain phenolic compounds in varying amounts, LC-MS-MS analysis showed the presence of catechin, p -coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and gallic acid. Moreover, the phaeophyta are rich in potassium and calcium. However, they accumulate high quantities of heavy metals including arsenic (403.92 ± 1.299 to 508.62 ± 1.364 mg/100g of dry matter). The results suggest that these algae are rich in primary and secondary metabolites, however, they cannot serve as human food, due to their toxicity. Consequently, they can used as bioindicators of marine pollution. Keyworlds : Seaweeds, Phenolic compounds, Fatty acids, Proteins, Flavonoids, Heavy metals. Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3924281","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":280788643,"identity":"92ca212d-29f7-4ce6-8bca-4df4faedffcf","order_by":0,"name":"Lila Ousmer","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Université de Bouira: Universite de Bouira","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lila","middleName":"","lastName":"Ousmer","suffix":""},{"id":280788644,"identity":"64803559-48ba-4f66-bffe-0c405ddee3bc","order_by":1,"name":"Zahia Madani","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Université de Bouira: Universite de 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In this study, the biochemical composition of \u003cem\u003eCystoseeira amentacea\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCystoseira sedoides\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSargassum vulgare\u003c/em\u003e from the Algerian coast was evaluated. The results indicated that the protein content ranged from 8.62\u0026ndash;9.56%, whereas the lipid content varied from 0.77 to 2.35%. The most prevalent unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (14.47\u0026ndash;18.64%). The seaweeds contain phenolic compounds in varying amounts, LC-MS-MS analysis showed the presence of catechin, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and gallic acid. Moreover, the phaeophyta are rich in potassium and calcium. However, they accumulate high quantities of heavy metals including arsenic (403.92\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.299 to 508.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.364 mg/100g of dry matter). The results suggest that these algae are rich in primary and secondary metabolites, however, they cannot serve as human food, due to their toxicity. 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