CONTRIBUTION À L’ÉTUDE DE LA COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE ET NUTRITIONNELLE D’UNE ALGUE VERTE (CAULERPA RACEMOSA) ET ROUGE (CORALLINA ELONGATA) COLLECTÉES AU NIVEAU DE LA CÔTE MOSTAGANÉMOISE

Abstract

The chemical composition of algae differs depending on the specie and the environment in which it grows. The objective of this study is to evaluate the chemical composition of two distinct algae: the red alga Corallina elongata and the invasive green alga Caulerpa racemosa in order to compare their nutritional potential. The two algae were collected at the Salamander beach during the spring 2017, sorted, washed and then dried. The nutritional analyzes concerned the determination of lipids, proteins, polysaccharides as well as those of fibers. Total chlorophyll and carotenoids were determined on the fresh material of the two studiedalgae. On the basis of the chemical analysis, the two algae are relatively rich in mineral matter, with was at a higher level (p <0.05) in Corallina elongata (28.25%) compared to Caulerpa racemosa (17.25%). Concerning the other compounds, the green alga appears to be more rich in proteins (9.21% DM) than the red alga (6.14% DM) (p <0.05). Even polysaccharides level was higher in Caulerpa racemosa than in Corallina elongata (p <0.05). The total lipid content was comparable (p> 0.05) between the two algae (4.86% and 4.03% respectively in Corallina elongate and Caulerpa racemosa). Total dietary fiber levels were also comparable. The total chlorophyll rate in Corallina elongata was 1.3 higher than in Caulerpa racemosa and both algae appear to contain the same and low proportion of carotenoids. Finally, it appears that the green alga Caulerpa racemosa has a more appreciable nutritional potential compared to that of the red alga Corallina elongata.