Chemical Composition and Functional Properties of Selected Seaweeds from the Kenya Coast

The aim of the study was to determine the chemical and functional properties of five Kenyan seaweed species namely; (Hypnea musciformis, Eucheuma denticulatum, Laurencia intermedia, Sargassum oligocystum, Ulva fasciata) as a potential fat replacer in chicken sausage processing. The proximate composition was investigated using the standard AOAC methods, while the nitrogen-free extract (NFE) was determined by weight difference of the proximate components. The seaweeds were analyzed for mineral composition using atomic absorption spectrophotometry while the fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography. The water holding capacity and the emulsion capacity of the seaweed were determined using AACC procedures. The highest proximate component was NFE (65.06 %) while the least was crude fat (0.87 %). Among the nine minerals analyzed, calcium was the highest (1185.29 mg/100g) while lead was not detected. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) were the highest with a range of 53.03-71.05 % followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (4.83-17.71%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (2.75 - 10.13%). The highest emulsifying activity was obtained in Ulva fasciata (75.66 %) and Eucheuma denticulatum (75.69 %) while the lowest was obtained in Sargassum oligocystum (59.19 %). The highest water holding capacity was obtained in Sargassum oligocystum (13.75ml/g) while the lowest was recorded in Eucheuma denticulatum (8.42ml/g) and Ulva fasciata (9.16ml/g). The findings of this study demonstrated the potential of seaweeds in improving the chemical and functional characteristics of processed foods.