Sedigheh Hashemnia

Marine macroalgae is one of the important source to providing the medical and nutrition materials in the world. Seaweeds inhabit the waters of tropical regions, including the Persian Gulf, and have always been considered as an important part of tropical coastal flora and producers of marine ecosystems. In this study, we aimed to measure the amounts of nutrients and trace elements in some of the dominant red algae in the region between the tides of the Persian Gulf. Different methods are used to extract and measure mineral elements from algae in different parts of the world. However, all of these methods are based on tissue digestion by strong oxidants and acids (H2O2-HNO3-H2SO4). In this study, we tested a specific method for extracting metals by digesting algae with a strong acid combined with ammonium hydroxide. the eight seaweeds analyzed for their nutritional compositions were found to be interesting potential sources of plant food proteins, carbohydrate and fat owing to their high levels. The results of the present study concluded that these seaweeds can provide dietary alternatives due to improve the nutritive value of the human diet. Further study needs to be done on the utilization and sensory perceptions of these seaweeds