15 Sep 2022
Seaweed or marine algae belong to a large group of autotrophic organisms. They can be unicellular (microalgae or phytoplankton) or multicellular (macroalgae) with sizes ranging from 0.2-2.0 microns up to 60 m, respectively. Their reproduction occurs through simple division and due to the simplicity of their structure, they tend to grow faster than any other plant. Therefore, they are characterized as the most productive plants on the planet (Marsall, 2007):
There are about 320,500 species of algae.The amount of cultivated or native macroalgae used in industry during recent years rounds up to nearly 7.5-8 million tons per year (Becker, 2007).
Nutritional composition of algae
The nutritional value of algae depends on their size, digestibility, presence of toxic substances and chemical composition (Becker, 1994).
Algae are a remarkable source of protein, with a content of 10-15% in macro-algae (Oliveira et al., 2009) and 28-71% in microalgae. In addition, the content of certain amino acids such as lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, valine, histidine and isoleucine is comparable to that of eggs or soybean seeds.
Subscribe now to the technical magazine of animal nutrition
AUTHORS
Consistency in Soybean Meal Drives Performance and Sustainability
Anna Cotcho
Kolin Plus FC: greener choline nutrition for poultry
Middle East conflicts disrupt global feed markets
Edgar Oviedo
Optimizing nutrition for dairy goat and sheep productivity in Cyprus
Carolina Kyriacou
pHix-up improves rumen stability in dairy cows
Subacute ruminal acidosis
Net energy and growth: keys to better prediction in swine production
Gabriela Martínez
How starch structure & protein reduction shape gut health in weaned pigs
Diana Luise
Astaxanthin supplementation in aquaculture
Babatunde Saliu
What is intestinal health?
Marcos Rostagno
Calcium, phosphorus, and phytase optimization in broiler diets
Anna Cotcho
