The document discusses the economic importance of various algae as food sources, highlighting their use across multiple cultures worldwide. It details specific types of algae, such as chlorella, porphyra, palmaria, laminaria, and others, noting their nutritional value, culinary applications, and regional consumption practices. Algae are presented as rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, making them a valuable dietary component in many cuisines.

1. B.Sc. I (Sem- I)
BOTANY
Diversity & Applications of Microbes and Cryptogams
Unit-VI
Application of Microbes and Cryptogams
6.1. Economic Importance of Algae with special reference to Food
(Algae as a Food)
By
Avinash Darsimbe
Assistant Professor
Department of Botany
Shri Shivaji Science College, Amravati

2. AlgaeasaFood
Numerous cultures around the world consider algae as an important source of nourishment.
Citizens living in European countries such as Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Norway,
and Sweden, as well as populations living in North and South America, and Asian nations such
as China and Japan use algae as a key ingredient in a number of local dishes.
These meals can include algae as part of a salad, accompanying meat in a fried dish, as a
topping on oatmeal, or even in liquid form as an extract in a nutritious smoothie.

3. Algae contains several healthy elements including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins A, B,
C, and E. Not only is algae considered by many consumers worldwide to be a low cost source of protein, but
it also contains a number of important minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese,
and zinc.

4. Foods which commonly contain algae include a variety of dairy products
such as milk, ice cream, cheese, whipped topping, as well as syrup, icing, fruit
juice, and even salad dressings. Brown algae, in particular, is used in order to
stabilize, thicken, and emulsify numerous food products, while red algae is used in
the preparation of various semi-solid products as wide-ranging as medicines,
cosmetics, and in the production of a wide array of foods.

5. 1. Chlorella
Chlorella is a unicellular alga which possesses a very high quality of food value.
1. It is high in protein and other essential nutrients; when dried, it is about 45% protein, 20%
fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber, and 10% minerals and vitamins.
2. Recently, chlorella is being tried on mass scale culturing for human consumption.
3. It is used as diet food, as it provides the highest levels of dietary nucleic acids in all
foods. Dietary nucleic acids (e.g., RNA) are now recognized as powerful, natural substances
that provide super nutrition, rejuvenate, heal, and help create optimum health.
4. Researchers who’ve studied chlorella extensively say it’s nature’s “Perfect Food” (in fact,
NASA studied it as a food for astronauts).

6. 2. Porphyra (A Red Alga)
Porphyra is a cold water seaweed that grows in cold, shallow seawater. It has 30-35% proteins,
40-45% carbohydrates and a very high percentage of vitamins. In East Asia, it is used to
produce the sea vegetable products such as “amanori” in Japan. The common preparation is
known as “Asakusa nori” (Japanese), Zakai, gim (Korean) and zicai (Chinese). The alga is sold
and eaten together with rice.
Most human cultures with access to Porphyra use it as a food or somehow in the diet,
making it perhaps the most domesticated of the marine algae. There are considered to
be 60 to 70 species of Porphyra worldwide and seven around Britain and Ireland where it has
been traditionally used to produce edible sea vegetables on the Irish Sea coast.

7. 3. Palmaria palmata (Dulse)
It is a red alga (Rhodophyta) and also called dulse, red dulse or sea lettuce flakes. It
grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Dulse is a good source of
minerals, being very high in iron and containing all the trace elements needed in human
nutrition. Its vitamin content is also much higher than a vegetable such as spinach. It has high
protein content (more than 20%) but lacks the essential amino acid b.
Dulse is a well-known snack food. In Nova Scotia and Maine, dried dulse is often served
as a salty cocktail snack in bars. It is eaten raw in Ireland, like chewing tobacco, or is cooked
with potatoes, in soups, and fish dishes. In present-day cuisine, dulse can be incorporated into
bread, fish dishes, fish and vegetable soups, toasted and eaten as a snack, or fried crisp as a
substitute for fried bacon.

8. 4. Laminaria (A Brown Alga)
Laminaria is a kelp that finds its place in the brown algae family. Laminarian species
contain about 10% protein, 2% fat, and useful amounts of minerals and vitamins, though
generally lower than those found in “nori”. The mineral constituents
of Laminaria include iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. The alga is commonly
cultivated and grown on stones, cylinders, and ropes.
Laminaria species yields a food product known as “Kombu” or “Konbu”. Kombu is used
extensively in Japanese cuisines as one of the three main ingredients needed to make dashi, a
soup stock. It is also sold dried or pickled in vinegar.

9. 5. Alaria (A Brown Alga)
Alaria is a genus of brown alga comprising approximately 17 species. Members of the
genus are dried and eaten as a food in Western Europe, China, Korea, Japan, and South
America. Alaria yields a product known as “Sarumen” in Japan. Alaria esculenta, in particular,
is an excellent source of protein and iodine.

10. 6. Nostoc (Blue-green Algae)
Nostoc is a genus of cyanobacteria found in various environments that form colonies
composed of filaments in a gelatinous sheath. Containing protein and vitamin
C, Nostoc species are cultivated and consumed as a foodstuff, primarily in Asia. Balls of
Nostoc (terrestrial species) are collected, boiled and consumed as food by the Chinese and
the South Americans.

11. 7. Monostroma (a green Alga)
Monostroma occurs naturally in the bays and gulfs of southern areas of Japan. It is a
flat, leafy plant and only one cell thick. It contains 20% protein on average and has a useful
vitamin and mineral content. The seaweed is washed well post-harvest. It is then either
processed into sheets and dried, or simply dried and then boiled with sugar, soy sauce, and
other ingredients to make “nori-jam”.

12. 8. Ulva (a green Alga)
Sea lettuce is a thin, green seaweed, a species of Ulva.
1. It is collected from the wild and sometimes added to Monostroma, Enteromorpha sp. to
create a food product called “aonori”, which enhances the taste of warm dishes like rice,
soups, and salads.
2. It has a higher protein content than the other two and is rich in iron.
3. Ulva lactuca was formerly used in salad and soups in Scotland.

13. 9. Enteromorpha
Enteromorpha is cultivated and found in bays and river mouths around Japan. They are
also found in many other parts of the world, including Europe and North America. They contain
about 20% protein and are low in fat and sodium and high in iron and calcium. The seaweed
can be lightly toasted to improve the flavor and powdered for use as a condiment on soups and
foods, or it can be crushed into small pieces and used as a garnish.

14. 10. Caulerpa racemose
Caulerpa racemosa is a species of edible green alga and is commonly known as sea
grapes. It is found in many areas of shallow sea around the world. It is consumed widely in
salads in Japan, Fiji, the Philippines, and Thailand. Caulerpa is also eaten by local fishermen
in Malaysia and Indonesia. This alga is rich in fiber, proteins, minerals (calcium and
magnesium), folic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B1 while also being low in fat.

15. 11. Durvillaea antarctica
It is a large, robust bull kelp species and the dominant seaweed in southern New
Zealand and Chile. In Chilean cuisine, the stem and holdfast of Durvillaea, known as hulte is
used for different recipes, like salads and stews. The Mapuche indigenous people refer to it
as collofe.