Introduction
5
MICROALGAE
Algae have been used as a food source
and for treatment of various ailments for
over 2000 years. They form numerous
compounds that are presently used in
the development of new nutraceuticals
and have the potential to become more
intensively exploited. Different types of
algae, specifically microalgae, are more
prevalent in food supplements and
nutraceuticals due to their capability of
producing necessary vitamins, including A (retinol), B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic
acid), B12 (cobalamin), C (L-ascorbic
acid), D, E (tocopherol), and H (biotin).
Also, these organisms concentrate
essential elements, including potassium, zinc, iodine, selenium, iron, manganese, copper, phosphorus, sodium,
nitrogen, magnesium, cobalt, molybdenum, sulfur, and calcium. Algae are
also high producers of essential amino
acids and omega 6 (arachidonic acid)
and omega 3 (docosahexaenoic acid,
eicosapentaenoic acid) fatty acids. Due
to their abundant production of beneficial compounds and nutritive contents,
the market for increased algae production for nutraceuticals is lucrative and
imminent.
AQUATIC PLANTS
Some aquatic plants have a long
tradition as human food. Oryza sativa is
an emergent aquatic plant and the only
vascular hydrophyte that is a major
agronomic species. It is one of the
world’s main crops and forms the staple
diet of over half the world’s population.
A small but important number of other
aquatic crops exist, such as water chestnut (Trapa spp.), lotus (Nelumbo nucifera),
and watercress (Nasturtium officinale).
Ipomoea aquatica is one of the few aquatics grown as a green vegetable.
Aquatic macrophytes present organs
that, due to their accumulated food
reserves, are of potential nutritional
value to man: among them, seeds,
fruits, and swollen vegetative perennating organs are the most important.
A variety of fruits and seeds are rich in
oil, starch, or protein and can be eaten
raw or dried and ground to flour, which
can be baked with water or milk to give
a kind of bread or cake. Numerous rhizomes and tubers are similarly rich in
carbohydrates, especially starch, sugar,
and mucilage, and are wholly edible
when raw or cooked. The foliage of
many macrophytes provides acceptable
salad ingredients or cooked vegetable
dishes. In the Amazon, Indians used
to utilize water hyacinth ashes as salt,
and in the Northeast region of Brazil,
the leaves of several species of macrophytes are often used in salads due to
their high nutritional value and good
palatability. The rhizomes of many
other macrophytes are also used in the
production of cookies, cakes, and other
products. In Brazil, one of the most used
macrophytes with nutritional value to
man is the watercress (Nasturtium sp.),
and it is often used in fresh or cooked
dishes (Thomaz et al., 2009).
In general, aquatic plants are somewhat low in lysine and methionine
when compared to meat proteins.
Phenylalanine is present in very small
quantities in Alternanthera philoxeroides and Sagittaria latifolia. Otherwise,
amino acid levels are similar to those
for meat proteins and crop plant leaf
5
MICROALGAE
Algae have been used as a food source
and for treatment of various ailments for
over 2000 years. They form numerous
compounds that are presently used in
the development of new nutraceuticals
and have the potential to become more
intensively exploited. Different types of
algae, specifically microalgae, are more
prevalent in food supplements and
nutraceuticals due to their capability of
producing necessary vitamins, including A (retinol), B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic
acid), B12 (cobalamin), C (L-ascorbic
acid), D, E (tocopherol), and H (biotin).
Also, these organisms concentrate
essential elements, including potassium, zinc, iodine, selenium, iron, manganese, copper, phosphorus, sodium,
nitrogen, magnesium, cobalt, molybdenum, sulfur, and calcium. Algae are
also high producers of essential amino
acids and omega 6 (arachidonic acid)
and omega 3 (docosahexaenoic acid,
eicosapentaenoic acid) fatty acids. Due
to their abundant production of beneficial compounds and nutritive contents,
the market for increased algae production for nutraceuticals is lucrative and
imminent.
AQUATIC PLANTS
Some aquatic plants have a long
tradition as human food. Oryza sativa is
an emergent aquatic plant and the only
vascular hydrophyte that is a major
agronomic species. It is one of the
world’s main crops and forms the staple
diet of over half the world’s population.
A small but important number of other
aquatic crops exist, such as water chestnut (Trapa spp.), lotus (Nelumbo nucifera),
and watercress (Nasturtium officinale).
Ipomoea aquatica is one of the few aquatics grown as a green vegetable.
Aquatic macrophytes present organs
that, due to their accumulated food
reserves, are of potential nutritional
value to man: among them, seeds,
fruits, and swollen vegetative perennating organs are the most important.
A variety of fruits and seeds are rich in
oil, starch, or protein and can be eaten
raw or dried and ground to flour, which
can be baked with water or milk to give
a kind of bread or cake. Numerous rhizomes and tubers are similarly rich in
carbohydrates, especially starch, sugar,
and mucilage, and are wholly edible
when raw or cooked. The foliage of
many macrophytes provides acceptable
salad ingredients or cooked vegetable
dishes. In the Amazon, Indians used
to utilize water hyacinth ashes as salt,
and in the Northeast region of Brazil,
the leaves of several species of macrophytes are often used in salads due to
their high nutritional value and good
palatability. The rhizomes of many
other macrophytes are also used in the
production of cookies, cakes, and other
products. In Brazil, one of the most used
macrophytes with nutritional value to
man is the watercress (Nasturtium sp.),
and it is often used in fresh or cooked
dishes (Thomaz et al., 2009).
In general, aquatic plants are somewhat low in lysine and methionine
when compared to meat proteins.
Phenylalanine is present in very small
quantities in Alternanthera philoxeroides and Sagittaria latifolia. Otherwise,
amino acid levels are similar to those
for meat proteins and crop plant leaf