Safety Assessment of Brown Seaweed Species and Their Extracts

Aurora Silva; F. Chamorro; M.Fátima Barroso; Virginia Fernandes; Cristina Soares; Cristina Delerue-Matos

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Safety Assessment of Brown Seaweed Species and Their Extracts

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Cristina Delerue-Matos

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¹ REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Dr António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
² Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Vigo, Ourense Campus, E32004 Ourense, Spain.
³ Universidade de Vigo, Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, E32004 Ourense, Spain.
⁴ REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Dr António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.

Academic Editor: Antonello Santini

Published: 28 October 2024 by MDPI in The 5th International Electronic Conference on Foods session Food Quality and Safety

Abstract:

Macroalgae are a source of important substances including lectins, carotenoids, flavonoids, phytosterols, and peptides. These chemicals have a variety of biological functions, including antibacterial, neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. As a result, much research has been conducted to produce algae extracts for use in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors, among other industries.

This study investigates the safety of three edible algae species and their extracts from the European Atlantic coast: Bifurcaria bifurcata (BB), Ascophyllum nodosum (AN), and Fucus spiralis (FS). The algae were analyzed for iodine, arsenic, plumb (ICP-MS), and mercury (hydrate generator). Possible organic pollutants of the algae and algal extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography with electro-capture detection (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography with flame photometric detection (GC-FPD) for the presence of pollutants, such as 22 pesticides, 4 PCBs, and 15 flame retardants. Additionally, the presence of 17 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was also evaluated by liquid chromatography with fluorescence and diode array detection (HPLC-FLD).

Safety assessments, including Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Total Cancer Risk (TCR), were calculated. The results indicated that while algae are rich in beneficial compounds, certain contaminants, particularly arsenic, can pose some health risks. The calculated Hazard Index (HI) was always below 1, and Total Cancer Risk (TCR) values were within the acceptable limit of 10^-4, indicating no significant health impact from the tested algae and extracts. Organic pollutants were absent except for trace levels of PAHs. Additionally, iodine levels, a critical safety parameter, were measured in all algae and their extracts, with some showing high concentrations. This study concluded that consuming algae within the recommended iodine limits—set by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) at no more than 0.15 mg per day—is safe and consistent with typical levels in the European diet.

Keywords: Iodine; Total Cancer Risk; Arsenic; Contaminants

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