Nutritional value of duckweeds (Lemnaceae) as human food. (15th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Appenroth, Klaus-J.; Sree, K. Sowjanya; Böhm, Volker; Hammann, Simon; Vetter, Walter; Leiterer, Matthias; Jahreis, Gerhard
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 217(2017)
• Page Start: 266
• Page End: 273
• Publication Date: 2017-02-15
• Subjects: AA amino acids -- AAS amino acid score -- Ala alanine -- ALA a-linolenic acid -- Arg arginine -- Asp aspartic acid -- Cys cysteine -- DW dry weight -- EAA essential amino acids -- EAAI essential amino acid index -- essential AA/non-essential AA EAA/NEAA -- EPA eicosapentaenoic acid -- FA fatty acids -- FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations -- FAME fatty acid methyl esters -- Glu glutamic acid -- Gly glycine -- Ile isoleucine -- LA linoleic acid -- LCFA long-chain fatty acids -- LC-PUFA long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids -- Leu leucine -- Lys lysine -- MCFA medium chain fatty acids -- Met methionine -- MUFA monounsaturated fatty acids -- N nitrogen -- NPN non-protein nitrogen -- Phe phenylalanine -- PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acids -- SCFA short-chain fatty acids -- SD standard deviation -- SDA stearidonic acid -- SFA saturated fatty acids -- Thr threonine -- Trp tryptophan -- Val valine -- WHO World Health Organization; duckweed -- Landoltia -- Lemna -- Spirodela -- Wolffia -- Wolffiella -- Proteins -- Fatty acids; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.08.116
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: Duckweeds contain 20–35% protein, 4–7% fat, 4–10% starch per dry weight. Proteins constitute 4.8% Lys, 2.7% Met + Cys, and 7.7% Phe + Tyr. 48–71% of fat are polyunsaturated fatty acids, the n6/n3 ratio is 0.5 or less. Mineral content can be easily manipulated by the composition of the nutrient medium. Wolffia microscopica and Wolffiella hyalina are desirable as human food. Abstract: Duckweeds have been consumed as human food since long. Species of the duckweed genera, Spirodela, Landoltia, Lemna, Wolffiella and Wolffia were analysed for protein, fat, and starch contents as well as their amino acid and fatty acid distribution. Protein content spanned from 20% to 35%, fat from 4% to 7%, and starch from 4% to 10% per dry weight. Interestingly, the amino acid distributions are close to the WHO recommendations, having e.g. 4.8% Lys, 2.7% Met + Cys, and 7.7% Phe + Tyr. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids was between 48 and 71% and the high content of n3 fatty acids resulted in a favourable n6/n3 ratio of 0.5 or less. The phytosterol content in the fastest growing angiosperm, W. microscopica, was 50 mg g −1 lipid. However, the content of trace elements can be adjusted by cultivation conditions. Accordingly, W. hyalina and W. microscopica are recommended for human nutrition.